Oyo govt‘ll take proactive measures to curb clashes in public schools

The Oyo State government says proactive measures will be taken to curb frequent clashes between hoodlums and students of public schools in the state.

Mrs Olabisi Oderinde, the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), stated this on Thursday when she visited Ibadan Municipal Grammar School (IMG), Oke-Ado in Ibadan, over Wednesday’s invasion of the school by suspected hoodlums.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some hoodlums, with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, had allegedly invaded the premises of the school around 1:30 pm. on Wednesday and clashed with the students.

NAN also reports that the clash spread to the nearby Oke-Bola Comprehensive High School and a mechanic workshop, where about 19 cars were vandalised.

Addressing newsmen after the inspection, Oderinde said that a stakeholders’ meeting would be held, saying that this would include school governing boards, parents, heads of teachers and neighborhood landlords where such incidents were rampant.

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She also said that the government would build perimeter fence round IMG school, noting that the porous nature of the school gave the hoodlums easy access to the premises.

The Permanent Secretary refuted the report that the clash was between IMG school students and those of Oke-Bola Comprehensive High School.

She also said that no student died during the clash, contrary to the reports in some online media that one student died.
Oderinde said that one Usman Olalere, an SS3 student of IMG school, had convulsion during the clash, adding that he had since been revived and treated in the hospital.

Earlier, Mrs Adenike Ajiboye and Ramat Adepoju, the Principals of IMG School and Oke-Bola Comprehensive School respectively, said that such invasion was rampant in the area and urged the government to put an end to it.

Ajiboye said that lack of perimeter fencing contributed to the incessant attack by hoodlums in the area, saying that the Wednesday incident started when some hoodlums came into the school premises, “and accused some of our students of abusing them.”

She said that all efforts to appease them proved abortive, as they started chasing everyone, including teachers until security operatives came to their rescue.

Adepoju disclosed that 19 vehicles were vandalised during the clash, while 15 students were arrested by the police.

NAN