By JAMES OGUNNAIKE, Abeokuta

Despite different measures put in place by the Ogun State government to curb the incessant attacks on teachers in its secondary schools, a student of Toyon High School, Ere, Ado-Odo, Joshua Joseph has hired thugs to attack his teachers.

The student, his mother and the hired thugs were said to have stormed the school, located in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, and descended heavily on about three teachers, inflicting injuries on them.

The teacher that was attacked

It was gathered that the student identified as Joshua Joseph had earlier been prevented from entering the class because of his hairstyle.

A teacher identified as Mr. Kabir Azeez told the student to go and cut his hair before entering the classroom.

But, Joshua was said to have returned to the school with his mum and thugs, and attacked the teachers.

A reliable source told newsmen that, “Three teachers were beaten. They are Messrs Abel Thomas, Kabir Azeez and Adegun Adekunle. The car that was destroyed belongs to Mr Jolayemi Jeromu. One of the thugs, Posu Baale, smashed the car’s windscreen.”

Confirming the incident, the School Vice Principal, Mrs Mariam Onilogbo said, “On Monday, we asked one of our students to go and cut his hair because the hair he brought to school was not acceptable in the school. Yesterday, he came again with that same hair, we told him to go and cut it. I collected his bag and told him to come back after cutting the hair. Coming back to school, he came with two men and two women to accuse us that why should we ask him to go and cut his hair”.

“I told them that if I cannot tell him to cut his hair, all of them should leave my office. I gave them his bag and told them to go and teach him morals at home. They went out and I started to hear noise within the school promises. They started beating the teachers. They smashed the windscreen of a car parked within the school”.

“Yesterday evening, they came to our quarters again, claiming that we stole their phone. They almost attacked us. We told that their was phone is not with us. They came to meet us again this morning, but we thank God no one was attack”.

The Vice Principal added that the mother and one of the thugs have been arrested by the police.

It was gathered that the teachers invited the police after locking up the arrested ones in the computer room.

The development comes barely two weeks after parents had signed undertaking forms before their children were allowed into their respective classes, when primary and secondary schools pupils resumed for the 2nd term 2021/2022 academic session.

It would be recalled that the state government had mandated all parents and guardians to sign undertaking in view of the ugly of assault on teachers across the state by students.

In the last quarter of 2021, more than four teachers were beaten by their students and in some cases, in connivance with hoodlums, a development which had attracted criticism from stakeholders in the state.

To curb the trend, the state government introduced signing of undertakings by parents to declare their children’s readiness of good conduct and non violent act at the schools.

Meanwhile, the State Police command has confirmed the arrest of the couple, Oyedele Nutai Joseph and Elizabeth Joseph that invaded and attacked the teachers.

The police in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, said, the suspects were arrested following a distress call received by the policemen at Ado Odo divisional headquarters, from the school, that parents of one of their students are in the school with thugs and have beaten and injured one of the teachers.

Oyeyemi further said, “Upon the distress call, the DPO Ado Odo, SP Arowojeun Michael led his men to the school where the couple were arrested while their accomplices escaped”.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the teacher, Abel Thomas, moderately corrected a SS3 student of the school by name, Joshua Joseph who then went home to inform his parents that he was beaten by the teacher.

“Having heard from their son, the parents who felt that the teacher has no right to beat their son for any reason, mobilized some thugs and stormed the school”.

“On getting to the school, they descended heavily on the teacher, beat and injured him”.

“They also damaged the back screen of a Toyota Corolla car with registration number LSD 395 FV belonging to another teacher of the school, Jolayemi Sunday.

The injured teacher had been taken to hospital for medical treatment”.

The State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole has ordered that the escaped thugs who accompanied the couple to attack the school should be hunted for and brought to justice.

He also directed that the arrested couple should be charged to court without delay.(Vanguard)

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