For assaulting and damaging property at Ibadan Christ Apostolic Grammar School, 59 students from Government Technical College, Orita-Aperin, have been taken into custody by the Oyo State Police Command.
During a stakeholder meeting at the Command Headquarters on Monday in Ibadan, state Commissioner of Police Johnson Adenola affirmed this.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the purpose of the meeting was to stop more gang-related school violence in Oyo State.
According to Adenola, on Thursday, students from Government Technical College in Ibadan went on a rampage and broke into CAC Grammar School.
“Destroyed properties included vehicles, the school laboratory, and some teachers were injured during the attack,” the Commissioner of Police stated.
He added that 17 of the 59 arrested students were found culpable, while the remaining students have been released without charges.
“When I interviewed them on Saturday, I was shocked by the riot. The level of decadence in schools across Oyo State is alarming.
“The Command convened this stakeholders’ meeting to end gang violence in schools within Ibadan and across Oyo State.
“It has been observed that many students go on rampages, especially after term examinations or at the end of the school term.
“This behaviour is unacceptable. It must end immediately,” the Commissioner said.
He pointed out that the talks during the conference were creative and focused on tackling school gang violence before it became worse.
“It is unfortunate that many students in the state are cultists, with nicknames different from their real identities.
“The police have initiated measures, including school visits, to sensitise students about the dangers of cultism,” Adenola said.
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Noting that financial support alone is insufficient for a child’s appropriate upbringing, he advised parents and guardians to keep an eye on their wards.
Prof. Saliu Adelabu, Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, commended the police for their successful intervention.
They assured the state government that juvenile courts are prepared to try those found guilty, and he praised them for that as well.
Parents of affected pupils, Dr Nurein Adeniran, the chairman of the Oyo State SUBEB, and the chairman of both schools were among those present, according to NAN.
