The Ogun State government has suspended the principals of both the junior and senior sections of Ilugun High School, Elega, Abeokuta, following the death of a student during a protest on the school premises.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu, announced the suspension at a press briefing in Abeokuta, saying the decision would remain in effect pending the outcome of a full investigation.

He disclosed that preliminary findings showed the junior school principal, Mrs Alaba Olukoga, was involved in the illegal collection of fees, which reportedly triggered a protest by students. During efforts to disperse the protesters, local security operatives were invited, and one student, attempting to escape, jumped over a fence into a nearby river and died.

Arigbabu added that although the senior school principal, Mrs Temitope Ladipo, was not directly implicated in the incident, her suspension was necessary to ensure fairness and transparency in the investigation.

The Commissioner expressed the government’s condolences to the student’s family, describing the loss as painful and irreparable. He assured that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.

Arigbabu urged students to remain calm and avoid vandalism, warning that destroying school property would only worsen the problem of inadequate infrastructure.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing free and quality education across the state and said the findings of the investigation would be made public once concluded.