The Oyo State Government and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oyo State chapter, have dismissed reports circulating online that a teacher in Ogbomoso was beaten to death by students, describing the story as fake and a distortion of events.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Olusegun Olayiwola; the Oyo NUT Chairman, Comrade Raji Oladimeji; and the Principal of Soun High School, Ogbomoso, Mr. Ajayi Adeyinka, separately addressed the issue on Monday, providing a detailed account of what transpired.

They clarified that the deceased teacher, Mr. Adegoke Fatai Abiodun, was not beaten by students. They explained that the incident in which he caught four students gambling occurred on May 28, 2025, while the teacher died months later on November 4, 2025.

According to the Commissioner, investigations from the school confirmed that although Mr. Adegoke apprehended four students for gambling, he was not assaulted. Instead, he dislocated his arm when attempting to discipline one of the students.

Olayiwola said the teacher initially sought treatment from a local bone therapist and later a private hospital before a government hospital diagnosed him with Stage 4 bone marrow cancer.

“We have gone into the roots of the matter and found that the information is false. The late Mr. Adegoke had been sick, and his illness was diagnosed late. I also spoke with his wife, who confirmed that he was not beaten by students,” he said.

He cautioned reporters and the public against spreading unverified information and said a delegation led by the TESCOM chairman would visit the family to console them.

Principal Adeyinka also debunked the claims, saying Mr. Adegoke died from complications related to bone marrow cancer and not from any assault.

“The whole incident happened on May 28, but he was not beaten. He dislocated an arm while trying to discipline one of the students. It was while seeking treatment that the cancer was discovered,” he said.

The principal noted that the school immediately disciplined the students involved in the gambling incident.

Also speaking, NUT Chairman Oladimeji condemned the fake report, saying it created unnecessary panic within the education sector.

He said the union only became involved when funds were needed for the teacher’s treatment, and that about N2 million was raised to support him.

He added that the May 28 incident was never reported to the union because no assault occurred.

The state government and the education community in Oyo have condoled with the family of the deceased and urged the public to exercise caution in sharing unverified claims.