The Imo State Government has announced that it would soon commence the closure of all illegal private primary and secondary schools in the 27 local councils of the state, threatening to arrest violators.

This was contained in a statement issued at the weekend by the Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. Bernard Ikegwuoha.

Ikegwuoha also warned those with expired approval letters, and those who cleaned areas marked closed down and commenced operations without regularisation.

It read: “This is to inform all private proprietors of schools (nursery, primary and secondary) that monitoring of schools and closure of illegal private schools and schools operating with expired approval letters will soon commence effectively across the state.

“Proprietors of private schools whose schools have been closed down due to one issue or the other, including illegal schools marked closed down with red and have been cleaned off and reopened without regularisation in an unauthorised manner, will be arrested by the police.”

The statement warned that the violators would be arrested: “The Ministry of Education, Primary and Secondary, will not be liable nor held responsible for any fall-out arising from the arrest thereof. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. This is the final warning!”