EXTRA: Benue school sends students home over ‘spiritual attack’

A Universal Basic Education Junior Secondary School in Makurdi, Benue state, has sent seven of its female students home over “spiritual attack”.

According to PUNCH, four of the students suffered the attack on Friday and were sent home alongside three others on Monday after they had the same experience.

Catherine Ahom, the school’s headteacher, said the attack often starts with the student experiencing a seizure as well as chest pain.

Ahom said some of the affected students will thereafter start to fall down while others would be running around.

The headteacher explained that the spiritual attack is known as ‘Iyor genen’ in Tiv language.

Patrick Aese, the education secretary for Markudi local government area, however, dismissed fears generated by the incident.

Aese noted that the attack is a common occurrence in Tiv land, adding that such was not contagious as rumoured.

The education secretary added that such an attack is usually caused by noise and colours such as red.

“It is a spiritual matter. Just go back to the school tomorrow, those children will be back to normal. If it were to be at the village, traditionalists know what to administer and within one hour they become normal. They know how they control it to make it subside,” Aese said.

“Within the area where it happens frequently, we don’t fear it. We know the limitations and how it can be contained, it is not transferable. The thing started many years ago, our forefathers inherited it.

“It is most common during burial and in most cases while whistling. Noise and some colours like red trigger it among the affected people and when attacked, the affected people will be running and manifesting uncommon strength.”