Ogun Govt Suspends Ilugun High School Principals Over Student’s Death
The Ogun State Government has indefinitely suspended the two principals of Ilugun High School, Elega, Abeokuta, following the death of a student reportedly linked to the school.
The Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, announced the suspension on Tuesday during a press conference. His address was in reaction to a viral video that showed students vandalising school property after the incident.
According to Arigbabu, the affected principals are Mrs. Alaba Olukoga of the junior school and Mrs. Olabisi Ladipo of the senior school. Their suspension, he explained, was based on their roles in the crisis that triggered unrest in the school.
He revealed that the principal of the junior school was found to have been involved in the collection of illegal fees from students, which sparked a protest. Security operatives were later invited to restore order, but the intervention escalated into a violent clash.
“We are all aware of the unfortunate incident that occurred at Ilugun High School (Junior), Elega. Sadly, it did happen, and investigations have linked it to the collection of illegal fees,” Arigbabu stated.
The commissioner expressed condolences to the bereaved family but clarified that the deceased could not be verified as a registered student of the school. “The victim was identified with three different names: Babalola Ayomide, Salako Jimoh, and Afolabi Babalola. However, none of these names appeared in our official state education database, OGSERA, which validates all student enrolments. This suggests he may have been illegally enrolled,” he explained.
Arigbabu disclosed that following preliminary findings, the government decided to suspend both the junior and senior principals of Ilugun High School while a thorough investigation is ongoing to determine both the immediate and remote causes of the incident.
He further revealed that the Teaching Service Commission had set up a whistleblower platform for reporting illegal practices, misconduct, and other irregularities in schools.
The commissioner assured that the state government remains fully committed to providing free education for every school-age child in Ogun State, irrespective of their background, gender, religion, economic status, or political affiliation.
