Lagos State government through its Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has refuted allegations by parents and staff of St. Margaret Group of the Schools, Ikorodu, concerning the detention of the school’s staff members and demolition of structures within the school premises.

The school, located along Ebute Road, Ikorodu, had in a protest at the weekend alleged that officials of the Agency on March 27, during a routine monitoring exercise at about 12:48 p.m., wrongfully detained its staff members, and sealed or demolished structures in their school.

Responding, the Director, Public Affairs, LASBCA, Olusegun Olaoye, described the allegations as baseless, unfounded and without merit.

According to him, officials of the Agency visited the school for the purpose of ascertaining the renovation works carried out in the school premises to ensure compliance with the regulatory provisions of the law on March 27.

Upon getting to the gate of the school, he said, officers of the Agency introduced themselves to the security guard and requested to see a management officer of the school.

He stressed that the security guard went in and a man who is referred to as the School Administrator came with him.

“The School Administrator (Daniel Sunday) came with aggression and without listening to the officers started shouting “what do you want! You are kidnappers!” You are thieves, and all sorts of unprintable names.

“He also seized the phones from the four officers and damaged one of the phones by smashing it on the floor.

“Still, he ordered the security men and some teachers to drag the officers into one of the rooms and lock them up.

“All the four officers were assaulted, injured and detained in the room and thereby obstructed the officers from carrying out their lawful duties within the school premises,” Olaoye said.

He added that the driver that drove the officers to the site made a distress call to the head office and raised an alarm over the false imprisonment of officers by the School Administrator and some other officers of the school.

“Upon hearing the report, the General Manager of the Agency therefore directed the enforcement team who were on an assignment at Eti Osa to go to the School to rescue the detained officers.

“The officers were detained for over three hours until the enforcement team came with police officers to rescue them at about 4:30 p.m.

“When the enforcement team came to the premises, the School Administrator locked up everywhere and organised members of staff of the school to attack the team,” he added.

However, the Police men attached to the enforcement team had to arrest the School Administrator and some of the staff who attacked them and sealed off the school until the issue was resolved.

He further said: “It should be noted that at no point during the visit to the school premises were the officials of the Agency engaged in inappropriate behaviour or misconduct of any kind.”

Meanwhile, the School Administrator and those arrested during the enforcement have been arraigned on March 28, before a Special Offences Court sitting at Bolade, Oshodi, on a five-count charge, including assault, obstruction of public officers from carrying out their lawful duties and acts likely to cause breach of peace, and were subsequently granted bail by the court.

However, LASBCA has restated its commitment to upholding fairness, justice, and the rule of law in all its interactions and dealings.