St Andrew’s Catholic School in Muea, Buea, remained closed on Tuesday, October 6, after two corpses were left on its premises.
The bodies remained at the school more than 24 hours after they were discovered.
Classes stayed suspended as other schools across Muea reopened for the new academic year.
The reopening came nearly a month after insecurity disrupted normal community activities.
Three people were initially killed, and their bodies were dumped at the school premises.
However, the family of the third victim, identified as Tem Elvis, reportedly removed his body the same day.
The two remaining bodies have not been claimed.
Residents have also been unable to identify them.
Normal activities have resumed in parts of Muea despite the disturbing incident.
However, the killings have cast a dark shadow over St Andrew’s Catholic School.
Pupils were expected to return to classrooms after weeks of insecurity linked to a separatist lockdown.
The lockdown was intended to oppose the government’s official school resumption timeline.
Residents have condemned both the killings and the decision to dump the bodies at a school.
They say the perpetrators would have known that children were expected back in class the following day.
Parents and other residents fear the incident could leave lasting psychological scars on pupils.
Many children have already been exposed to insecurity and violence in the ongoing conflict.
Seeing corpses at their school could deepen that trauma and make returning to class even harder.
The bodies’ presence has also raised concerns about sanitation and the safety of the school environment.
Authorities are expected to urgently remove the bodies and sanitise the premises before classes resume.
For many families, however, reopening the school will require more than simply removing the corpses.
Parents will also have to reassure children that their school remains a safe place to learn.
The incident has therefore added another painful disruption to children’s education in Muea.
By Lucas Muma | BaretaNews
