For two days running, tension continues to mount in Iwo, Osun State. The situation at the Baptist High School, Iwo, yesterday took a new dimension when some students of the school mobilised masquerades to the school.

The students, it was gathered, also appeared in masquerade attire and prevented academic activities in the school for several hours.

The masquerades, it was gathered, were mobilised to the school by some students with the collaboration of some traditionalists in the town as various religious organisations have taken interest in the crisis rocking the education sector in the state.

The students of the school on Tuesday caused confusion in the school as they appeared in different clothes that correlate with their religious beliefs.

While the Christian students who wore white garments sown into choir gowns sang Christian songs, the Muslim students who appeared in veil, on the other hand, sang Islamic songs.

The state government last year introduced same uniform for all the secondary school students in the state and also legalised the use of veil (hijab) in public schools.

The Christian community, especially the Osun Baptist Conference, protested against the decision then but the protest was ineffective as the government failed to reverse the policy.

Pockets of crises had been recorded at the Baptist High School, Iwo, over the use of veil (hijab) by female Muslim students.

It was gathered that security personnel stormed the school yesterday to prevent breakdown of law and order, even as officials of the state Ministry of Education were seen in the school taking measures to prevent further crisis.

In the meantime, authorities of the school have suspended 24 of the students indefinitely for alleged immoral, cult activities and disruption of academic programme in the school.

The suspension of the affected students followed the investigation conducted by the institution’s authority where it was discovered that the students actually belong to cult group.

Though teachers in the school declined to comment on the matter, it was gathered that the students comprising both sexes were said to have committed several atrocities including locking up teachers within the school premises for hours.

•Extracted from a Vanguard report. Photo shows masquerades but not the ones that stormed the school.

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