School break-in on Kairiru Island

Police are investigating a break-in at a school on Kairiru Island, Wewak, East Sepik on Monday night, says a school official.

St Xavier’s Secondary School principal Gibson Maru told The National that a staff member was shot when students and staff intervened, but there was no other trouble.

Maru said it was not clear what the men who broke in were after and he hoped the investigation would make things clearer and see the perpetrators arrested and charged.

The situation is calm and everything is alright at the school as the incident happened between 7pm and 9pm on Monday.

Gibson Maru, St Xavier’s Secondary School principal

Maru said normalcy was quickly restored and students were able to sit for their Grade 10 social science examinations on Tuesday.

He dispelled rumors that a fight had occurred at the school and assured parents and guardians of students’ safety with the exams underway.

St Xavier’s was established by Catholic Marist Brothers in 1932 as a small all-boys school at Marange, near Boiken mission station.

After World War Two (WW2), the Catholic mission moved the school to Kairuri Island.

The school started enrolling girls in 2007.