SOME secondary school students, whose ages range between 13 and 16 years have been expelled from their schools for their participation in secret cult activities.

To this end, 70 students of various secondary schools in the state as well as some others from The Polytechnic, Calabar have been expelled.

In a circular letter MOE/S.093/vol.111/492 dated August 8, 2002 and signed by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Zana Itienbe Akpagu, the government said it "would not rest on its oars until the society is rid of these social miscreants."

In it, the government said, "arising from the state security report on the activities of secret cults in our institutions and in line with the state security council decision on cultism in the state, government has established the involvement of some students of secondary schools in cultism.

"Items ranging from (a) membership forms with passport photographs (b) guns, axes, cutlasses and (c) the nominal roll with their signatures inscribed with blood, have been recovered from the affected cultists" it stated.

The schools affected include Hope Waddell Training Institution, Duke Town Secondary School, Government Secondary School, Awi West African Peoples Institute, WAPI, as well as Lutheran High School, Obot Idim.

Others include, Unical International School, Government Secondary School Anantigha, Uyo High School, Uyo (Akwa Ibom State) as well as Government Secondary School, Anpa.

Of the number (70) who have been expelled, 26 of them are secondary school students while 44 were thrown out from the Polytechnic, Calabar in a circular number TPC/REG/SM/17 dated August 9, 2002.

Those kicked out belonged to various departments, including Financial Studies, Mechanical Engineering, Estate Management, Business Administration, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Architecture, Mass Communication, Accounting, while it was stated that some of the students were part timers.

Meanwhile, the State House of Assembly has passed the executive bill on cult practice into law, awaiting Governor Donald Duke's signature.

When ratified, those found guilty of cultism will go to prison for two years while their sponsors will be jailed for one year without an option of fine.

The bill is coming on the heels of the large scale killings which have taken place in the last 14 days in Calabar leading to the death of 10 students including the brother of a former chairman in one of the councils of the Southern senatorial districts of the state.