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 vandalising 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.
Salient Times learnt that 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.
