28th January, 2011
Schools across Ijebu-Ode and its environs have close down following series of attacks from some group of people which has left many people including teachers and students injured. The schools were shut till further notice on Monday.
P.M.NEWS investigation across the affected areas shows that both private and public schools have shut their gates for the fear of being attacked.
It was gathered that some schools in towns like Ijebu-Ode, Okun-Owa, Odogbolu, Oke-Owa, Irewon and others were attacked last week and many teachers were beaten to a pulp for not closing their schools for the voter registration exercise.
When our correspondent visited some of the schools in Ijebu-Ode, Atan, Ijebu-Igbo, Ago-Iwoye, Oru, Ilaporu, Ijebu Imushin, Ijebu-Ife, Itele Atoyo, J4, Ogbere, Abigi, Iwopin, Oni, Ode-Omu, they were all under lock and key.
One of the shut schools had this bold inscription on their gate: “We are sorry to inform you that the school remains closed till further notice to avoid being attacked by some people and our students being kidnapped. We will get back to you in due course. Thanks for usual cooperationâ€.
A teacher in one of the private schools in Ijebu-Ode who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that it was God that saved him and his colleagues from being lynched last week when some youths swooped on them.
“My brother, let’s just thank God. When these boys swooped on us last week, they ordered us to kneel down and started flogging us in the presence of our students.
—Abiodun Onafuye
