Gabon: 21 Students Held in Custody Following Molotov Cocktail Attack at Omar Bongo Technical High School. LIBREVILLE, Gabon — 16 March 2026 (AGP) – A video that has gone viral on social media depicting an attack at the Omar Bongo Technical High School in Libreville, where an apparent Molotov cocktail was thrown into a classroom, has sparked widespread public outrage and reignited discussions on school safety.
According to the Gabonese Press Agency (AGP), the incident occurred on Thursday, 12 March, around 1 PM, when a masked student hurled the incendiary device, causing panic among students.
In response to the incident, the school administration attempted to manage the tensions.
However, the situation escalated the following day, prompting the school principal to request intervention from the Forces of Police Intervention (FOPI).
The subsequent investigation by authorities led to the arrest of 24 students.
Currently, 21 of these students are being held in police custody as part of the ongoing inquiry. “The dealers of drugs consider this educational environment as a potential market, as the high concentration of students represents an opportunity for the distribution of drugs,” explained the school official.
The Omar Bongo Technical High School, along with the Libreville Technical High School and the Owendo Institute of Technology (ITO), collectively accommodates over 5,000 students.
This concentration, according to the official, attracts criminal networks seeking to exploit the youth’s vulnerability.
In parallel with the judicial procedures, the school administration is not ruling out disciplinary councils for the involved students, which could result in temporary or permanent expulsion. Further details regarding the outcome of the case and the students’fate are expected as the situation develops.
