Aboadze, (W/R), April 4, GNA 97 Students at the Aboadze TICO Junior High School in the Shama District of the Western Region are traumatised by some horrific blood rituals performed on the school compound by some unknown persons.

Mr Benjamin Dadzie, chairman of the Parent/ Teacher Association (PTA) of the school, told the GNA that last Thursday the students found blood sprinkled all over their compound when they arrived at school and they suspected some pupils performed the rituals to help them pass their forthcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination.

He said the head teacher of the school, Madam Verona Dadzo, went to his house early in the morning to inform him about the incident. The PTA Chairman said he accompanied her to the school and encouraged the pupils not to be afraid and also contacted some local pastors who prayed to exorcise any evil spirit behind the rituals. Afterwards, the pupils fetched sea water to wash the blood for classes to resume.

Mr Dadzie, however, said that despite the prayers some pupils were still traumatised by the incident, leading to a significant reduced school attendance.

He said the management of the school and the PTA had planned to organize fasting and prayers at the school on Friday April 8. A similar incident occurred at the school last year, he said, when some people displayed eggs and sprinkled blood on the school compound ahead of the BECE.

The PTA Chairman condemned the act and urged the pupils to learn hard to pass their examinations instead of relying on such occult practices that could have negative repercussions on their lives in the future.

When the GNA contacted the head teacher of the school on the issue, she refused to comment saying the issue was being handled by the District Director of Education. Some students of the school who spoke to the GNA corroborated the incident and said they were horrified by the rituals and that their parents had sent them to prayer camps to exorcise any evil spirits that might haunt them. The BECE starts this month.