THE Ondo State Ministry of Education has condemned the assault on the Vice Principal of Complete Child Development Centre, Aule, Akure, who was beaten by suspected thugs allegedly hired by his student’s mother.
Identified as Rotifa, the vice principal was said to have enforced examination rules during the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) by seizing the student’s phone.
A preliminary report issued by the ministry, and reported on Sunday, June 1, described the attack as an affront to the education system and a dangerous precedent that threatened the integrity of Nigeria’s schools.
The ministry stated that it was working closely with security agencies to ensure the protection of all staff and students, especially during an examination period.
According to the ministry, the crisis began on Monday, May 26, when Rotifa confiscated an Android phone from an SS3 student, Wisdom Elisha, who was allegedly caught with the device in the exam hall.
It noted that the situation escalated when the student’s mother stormed the school on Thursday, verbally assaulting the management and threatening violence if her son was not allowed to cheat in future papers.
However, following the threats, the school’s management returned the phone.
“The brother of the student, who happens to be an old student of the school, later came to the school to harass the vice principal and threatened to deal with him.
“After school hours, the boys were seen loitering in the street, and the proprietor was informed, who told Mr Rotifa to go to the police station to lodge a complaint. He went, and two policemen took him in their van to look for the boys, probably for arrest. They couldn’t get them. As they were going back to the station, the boys waylaid the police van, stopped it, brought out Mr Rotifa and beat him up. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.
“According to the principal of the school, he has been discharged from the hospital but did not go back to his house for fear of the boys coming back for him. Further investigations and efforts to get the culprit are in progress,” the statement added.
Police launch manhunt
Responding to the incident, the Ondo State Police Command said it had launched a manhunt for those responsible for the attack.
A statement by the police spokesperson in the state, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed that tactical teams had been deployed, while additional security measures had been put in place to protect the school community for the remainder of the WASSCE.
“The Commissioner of Police has ordered the immediate deployment of tactical teams to arrest those involved. The operation has been taken over by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations to ensure proper coordination and prevent further breakdown of law and order.
“The police, in collaboration with other security agencies, are on top of the situation, working to ensure the safety of staff and students of the school for the remaining WASSCE papers. The police are working to apprehend the culprits, and arrangements are ongoing to ensure the safety of the school community.”
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M