Wednesday, October 1, 2025 - The Ogun State Government
has suspended indefinitely the principals of Ilugun High School, Elega, Mrs
Olukoga Adeyemi Alaba (Junior) and Mrs Ladipo Olabisi Temitope (Senior),
following the death of a suspected student.
Reacting to a viral video showing students vandalizing
school property on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Education, Science and
Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, stated that the suspension became necessary
due to the roles played by the principals in the incident.
The commissioner noted that investigations revealed the
principal of the Junior school had been involved in the collection of illegal
fees, an action that triggered a protest by the students.
During the ensuing protest, security agents were called in
to restore order, which subsequently led to a scuffle and the death of a
student.
The deceased, identified by three
different names—Babalola Ayornide, Salako Jimoh, and Afolabi Babalola—could not
be confirmed as a bona fide student, as none of the names appeared on the
official state education database, the OGSERA.
Arigbabu said, “We have all become aware of the unfortunate
incident that took place at Ilugun High School (Junior), Elega. I stand before
you this afternoon to confirm that, sadly, the incident did happen in the
school.
“First, let me on behalf of the state government express our
deepest condolences to the parents and family of the deceased. We feel their
pain and our prayers are with them at this difficult time.
“However, 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
Ayornide, 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 illegal
enrolment.
“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.
“Also, in order to keep abreast of happenings in schools, a
scheme called Whistle Blowers has been established by the government through
the Teaching Service Commission to monitor illegalities, wrongdoing, and other
infractions.
“I must also appeal to the students: while we share in your
grief, please do not vent your anger by destroying school property. We all know
that we are still battling with inadequate infrastructure in our schools.
Destroying the little we have will only make the situation worse, not better.”
He called for calm, stressing that investigations are
ongoing, and reassured parents, students, and members of the public that anyone
found culpable will not go unpunished.
“We ask everyone to remain calm as investigations continue.
Government will be transparent, and justice will be done,” he said.
Arigbabu reaffirmed that the Abiodun-led administration
remains steadfast in its commitment to provide free education for every
school-age child, irrespective of where they live, their gender, economic
status, religious belief, or political affiliation.
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