… Deceased Allegedly Chased Into River By Local Security Operatives
… Govt Suspends Two Principals, Says Victim Not In School Database
Daud Olatunji
Pandemonium broke out on Monday in the Elega area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, as students of Ilugun High School (Junior) went on rampage, pelting their teachers with stones and destroying school property following the death of a colleague allegedly chased to his death by local security operatives.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the deceased, identified as Babalola, drowned in a river behind the school last Friday while being pursued by members of a local security outfit, reportedly invited by the school authorities to quell unruly behaviour among students.
According to eyewitnesses, operatives had stormed the school after the principal of the junior arm called for reinforcement against some defiant students.
The security men attempted to disperse the students but met stiff resistance, prompting an effort to arrest some of them.
In the ensuing confusion, three students were said to have jumped into the nearby river. Two were rescued, while Babalola drowned. His lifeless body was reportedly recovered a day later and buried at the riverbank on Saturday.
Matters came to a head on Monday when aggrieved students converged on the school premises. After the routine morning exercise, they allegedly launched attacks on teachers and staff.
Video clips obtained by PLATFORM TIMES showed students manhandling a male teacher identified as Majek, while others were captured vandalising school property in a fit of rage.
In the wake of the chaos, the school was shut down indefinitely.
The state government, which had initially maintained silence over the matter, later addressed the press.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Omolola Odutola, told PLATFORM TIMES that investigations had commenced to unravel the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, in a statement obtained by PLATFORM TIMES, said preliminary findings revealed disturbing details about the deceased and the school administration.
Arigbabu disclosed that the late teenager could not be confirmed as a bona fide student of Ilugun High School.
He said, “Our preliminary investigations have revealed a very disturbing twist. The young man who lost his life could not be confirmed as a bona fide student of the school.
He was identified by three different names – Babalola Ayomide, Salako Jimoh, and Afolabi Babalola. Yet, none of these names appear in our official state education database, the OGSERA platform, which authenticates all school enrolments. This points to the likelihood of an illegal enrollment.”
The commissioner further alleged that the principal of Ilugun High School (Junior) had been involved in the collection of illegal fees.
“In addition, we also discovered that the Principal of Ilugun High School (Junior) had been involved in the collection of illegal fees.
In light of these findings, the government has decided to place both the Junior and Senior Principals of Ilugun High School on suspension while we conduct a thorough investigation into the immediate and remote causes of this unfortunate incident,” Arigbabu added.
As at the time of filing this report, the local security outfit whose operatives were accused of chasing the deceased had yet to respond to enquiries from PLATFORM TIMES regarding its alleged role in the incident.
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