The management of Lagooz Schools, Lagos, and the leadership of Hausa Community at Agege, Lagos, at the weekend described as untrue reports that Lagooz Primary School was vandalised by hoodlums believed to be members of the Hausa community, during the school’s graduation ceremony.
Speaking to journalists in his office, the proprietor of the school, Mr Abayomi Otubela, alleged that the reporter from a national daily (not Nigerian Tribune) who visited the school was sponsored by some people to publish the “malicious” report, threatening to take legal action against the newspaper.
“For record purposes, teenagers never attacked Lagooz Schools, and no property was damaged, the principal of the school was not beaten as reported in the newspaper, and no money was missing,” he said. “Ever since that report hit the headline, we have been inundated with several calls from the parents and well wishers of the school to express their concerns about the safety of their children with threats to withdraw their wards.”
According to Otubela, what transpired during the ceremony was “a minor incident” outside the school gate involving two young “well wishers” which later “led to a brawl”. He said the management had quickly invited policemen from Elere station who assisted “in quelling the situation.”
Also speaking, the leader of the Hausa Community, Alhaji Abubakar Zango, said his members were shocked when they read that “Hausa youths” had attacked the school.
“We are all part of this community,” he said, “Hausa people have no reason to attack anybody here. We have an excellent relationship with both the school and other parts of the town.”
The principal of the school, Mrs Olivet Otubela who said she was never beaten up, also maintained that the claim in the report that N1.5 million belonging to the school was stolen by the attackers was completely false.