By JOY AKINSANYA

The Ogun State Government has indefinitely suspended the two principals of Ilugun High School in Elega, Abeokuta, amid the death of a student suspected to be linked to the school.

The Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, disclosed this on Tuesday at a press conference, while reacting to a viral video, where students were seen vandalizing school properties.

Arigbabu explained that the suspension of the principals, Mrs. Olukoga Alaba and Mrs. Olabisi Ladipo, representing the junior and senior schools respectively, was due to their involvement in the incident.

According to him, the principal of the junior school was reportedly involved in the collection of illegal fees, which led to a protest by the students.

“In the ensuing protest, security agents were invited to calm nerves, which subsequently led to a melee.

“We have all become aware of the unfortunate incident that took place at Ilugun High School (Junior), Elega. I stand before you this evening 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 Ayomide, 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 an illegal enrolment,” he said.

According to the commissioner, an investigation confirmed that the principal of Ilugun Junior High school was involved in collecting illegal fees from students.

In response to the findings, the government has decided to suspend both the junior and senior principals of Ilugun High School.

He added that a thorough investigation would be conducted to get the immediate and remote causes of the unfortunate incident.

He disclosed that to stay informed about school activities, the government, through the Teaching Service Commission, has established a Whistleblower scheme to report illegalities, wrongdoings, and other misconduct.

He assured that the state government remains dedicated to ensuring free education for all school-age children, regardless of their location, gender, economic status, religion, or political affiliation. (NAN)