The Oyo State Police Command on Monday indicted 17 out of the 59 students arrested in connection with the vandalisation of science laboratory equipment worth over N25m at the Christ Apostolic Church Grammar School, Oniyere in Ibadan, the state capital.
This was confirmed at a stakeholders’ meeting which had in attendance the state Commissioner of Police, Johnson Adenola; Special Adviser to the Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Security Matters, Fatal Owoseni; Commissioner of Education, Salihu Adelabu and a host of others at the Eleyele Police Command.
Adenola said the affected students invaded the premises of the school and destroyed the facilities.
He added that out of the 59 students who were arrested, 17 of them had been found culpable of the offences.
“On Thursday, last week, pupils of Government Technical College, Orita Aperin went on the rampage as they invaded the premises of the CAC Grammar School, Orita-Aperin.
“During the attacks, several vehicles were destroyed while the science laboratory blocks with equipment worth several millions of naira were vandalised.
“Also, some people received matchet cuts during the attacks. This, we found quite unacceptable. This situation was brought under control with the support of the local security and the authorities of the affected schools.
“I interviewed these children on Saturday and the revelation was stunning. I was surprised at the level of decadence in the public schools in the state.”
He went further to say that was the reason the police authorities summoned the stakeholders meeting to put an end to the gang violence which had become a recurrent incident in the public schools.
In his address, the Commissioner of Education, Adelabu, decried the growing level of indiscipline in the public schools.
Adelabu submitted that the government could no longer condone any act of indiscipline, adding that whoever is found culpable of any misdemeanor would be made to face the music.
“The present administration is investing so much in the education sector. It is sad to note that the affected pupils do not appreciate its efforts.
“The parents have a role to play in the upbringing of their children. The failure of the parents is what we are witnessing today.”
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Owoseni admonished the parents to be alive to their responsibility.
Adepoju continued, “In fulfilment of our security mandate, we have an increased deployment of security operatives to disrupt the movement of criminal elements and/or illicit materials who, in most cases, are known to move in unregistered vehicles.”
While restating the commitment of the security operatives to protect critical assets and infrastructure in the state which he said are critical for the state and the national economy, he appealed to members of the public to report suspected criminal elements targeting pipelines and other illicit behaviour for prompt action and arrest.
