The Edo State Police Command on Saturday confirmed that all suspects involved in the bullying incident at the Igbinedion Education Centre have been arrested and will be charged to the family court.

“The Edo State Police Command wishes to update the general public on the viral bullying incident, which has generated widespread concern and public reactions across the state.

“Following a thorough and painstaking investigation, the Command confirms that all individuals directly connected to the incident have been identified, while those implicated have been apprehended and are being charged to the family court in accordance with extant laws guiding juvenile justice and child protection,” the command said in a statement by its spokesman, Eno Ikoedem.

The statement detailed that the incident began on March 5, 2026, when two 14-year-old female students had a disagreement with a fellow student, who reportedly uttered offensive words about their late father.

“Angered by the remark, the girls allegedly attacked the student after school hours. In the course of the assault, a parent, who had come to pick up her son, intervened, but the two girls, still enraged, turned on the woman, physically confronting her and dragging her clothes. The school management subsequently intervened and expelled the girls for engaging in violent conduct,” the police added.

A retaliatory attack occurred the following day when the male student, whose mother was earlier assaulted, attacked the female victim in what has been described as revenge. The incident was recorded and shared by one of the students.

“The Commissioner of Police has ordered the immediate deployment and intensification of the Operation Safe Schools Initiative across secondary schools in Edo State, with a mandate to identify the gap in supervision and leverage lessons learnt in this matter, to prevent a recurrence.

Additionally, the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices has been mobilised to engage students and school administrators through advocacy, sensitisation, and reorientation programmes,” the statement added.

The police urged parents, guardians, and school authorities to take greater responsibility in supervising their wards and advised students to “shun violence and report grievances through appropriate channels.”

The Edo State Ministry of Education also condemned the act. Permanent Secretary Edith Ebomoyi said the behaviour “was completely unacceptable and ran contrary to the values of discipline, respect, and safety, which all educational institutions in Edo State were expected to uphold.”

The school reiterated that the students involved had been expelled and assured the public that such acts would not happen again. (TRIBUNE)