Edo govt orders interrogation of 7 students over truancy

…urges parents, teachers to guide students on proper social behaviours    

The Edo State Government has ordered the arrest and interrogation of six secondary school students and a school leaver for truancy and obstruction of academic activities, in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

Addressing journalists after the arrest of the students, Commissioner for Education, Hon. Emmanuel Agbale, said, “The students were arrested after my office received report from the authority of a primary school on how students and non-students of Ogbe Secondary School are of the habit of coming to obstruct academic activities in the primary school.”

“I promised the authority of the primary school that we will apprehend all those involved. While on a routine inspection, I got to Ogbe Secondary School with the Permanent Secretary  and other officials of the ministry and we met some of these students who were not in their school uniforms. Obviously, these boys are not students of Ogbe Secondary School. We met them displaying fireworks and obstructing academic activities in the school.”

He said he ordered security officers to apprehend them, after which the state’s surveillance team led by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security and Surveillance, Comrade Emmanuel Orukpe, were called in to interrogate the boys.”

Hon. Agbale added, “The state government is concerned about the activities of some of these youths, which are becoming worrisome. Parents and teachers should be aware that government will not hesitate to come down heavily on students involved in truancy and other anti-social behaviours.”

“We have deployed strategies to curtail activities of youths involved in such behaviours in secondary schools. With the new law before the Edo State House Assembly, students involved in cult-related activities will be prosecuted,” he added.

Comrade Orukpe said members of his team were working round the clock to support Governor Obaseki’s vision for students in schools and would not hesitate to prosecute individuals and groups involved in anti-social behaviour in schools across the state.

Orukpe urged parents, teachers and management of schools to guide students on appropriate social behaviours in schools and shun acts of truancy, adding, “his office is open to members of the public to report groups involved in anti-social activities in schools.”


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