Commotion As Hoodlums Invade Lagos School, Chase Pupils

No fewer than 40 hoodlums on Saturday invaded a private school, Shalom Group of Schools, in Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos State.

students and management of the school were deprived of entering the premises as the main entrance was blocked by land grabbers, popularly referred to as Omo-Onile.

The Proprietress of the school, Adedayo Odeka, confirmed the incident on Monday to journalists, saying the hoodlums were led by a man identified as Kaka.

According to her, the hoodlums damaged the school fence and railings to enter the compound, forcing boarding students to vacate.

Odeka said she is unaware of any court judgement regarding the land stating it was allocated to them by the Federal Government and they have been occupying the land for 30 years.

She noted that the case was reported at the Ipaja Police Station and urged the government to arrest and prosecute the suspects.

She said: “Kaka claimed that they won a court judgement to take possession of our land. I told him to show me the judgement, as I was not aware of any court case let alone judgment but he refused,” she added.

“Coming out overnight and claiming the land is uncalled for. This land, we have been occupying it for 30 years; students have been graduating year in, year out. The land is a Federal Government allocation; we don’t have any dealings with Omo Onile; we have all our documents.

“When the case was reported, the police reluctantly followed us to the site after much pressure but could not act as the hoodlums continued with the erection of the structures.”

A boarder in the school, Success Afolayan, said she felt traumatized when the hoodlums invaded the school.

She added that the incident would disrupt their academic activities as the students are preparing for WASCE, NECO, and JAMB.

She said: “This is going to affect our education, as we do not know when it will be resolved. The school Principal, Mrs Oluwatoyin Okafor, said the miscreants destroyed the school property. They destroyed the wall and iron rails and burgled the generator house.

“We were not given audience; the security agents were standing by their side with guns, threatening to shoot us if we talked.

“We were left with no option than to call the parents of the boarders, who live in Lagos, to pick them up, while we pleaded with some teachers and parents to take those who live outside Lagos home with them.

“Our students are preparing for WASCE, NECO and JAMB; they just came to disrupt the school activities.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident, urged the parties to resolve it amicably.