Ogun Suspends Principals After Student Death, Fee Scandal

The Ogun State Government has suspended two Principals of Ilugun High School, Elega, Abeokuta after a violent protest over illegal fee collection led to the death of a student.

The suspended Principals are Mrs. Olukoga Adeyemi Alaba (Junior School) and Mrs. Ladipo Olabisi Temitope (Senior School).

Education Commissioner Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu said they were removed over their alleged roles in the unrest, particularly the Junior school head who was found to have collected unauthorized levies.

Students had staged a protest last week, accusing the school of extorting money despite the Government’s free Education Policy.

The demonstration turned violent, prompting the deployment of security operatives. In the chaos, one student was killed.

Authorities say confusion surrounds the victim’s identity, as he was variously identified as Babalola Ayoride, Salako Jimoh, and Afolabi Babalola.

None of these names, Prof. Arigbabu disclosed, appear in the official state education database (OGSERA).

“The young man who died could not be confirmed as a registered student of the school,” the Commissioner said.

The tragedy has triggered outrage among parents and residents. Some parents accused school authorities of negligence, insisting that the State must reveal the truth about the victim’s identity.

“This is painful. Even if he wasn’t in their database, he was someone’s child. The Government must tell us what really happened,” said Mrs. Funke Adeola, a parent.

Students also expressed fear over the incident. “We only wanted them to stop collecting money from us. Now someone is dead, and we don’t even know who will be next,” a Senior Student told Global Mirror News.

Prof. Arigbabu urged calm, warning that destroying school property would only hurt students further.

He promised a transparent probe into the matter and accountability for anyone found guilty — whether school officials or security personnel.

The Commissioner also announced a new Whistleblower scheme under the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) to expose illegal fee collection and misconduct in schools.

Governor Dapo Abiodun, he stressed, remains committed to ensuring free education for every school-age child in the State.