The Ondo State Police Command has arrested five individuals, including a parent, over the brutal attack on Mr. Alexandra Rotifa, Vice Principal of Complete Child Development Centre, Akure, who was assaulted for preventing a student from engaging in examination malpractice during the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The arrested suspects include Mrs. Dorcas Asije, the mother of the student, who allegedly hired thugs to attack the Vice Principal after he disallowed her child from cheating during the exam.
Confirming the arrest in a statement issued in Akure on Monday, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the operation was carried out on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi.
“Following the assault on the Vice Principal of Complete Child Development Centre, Akure, the Ondo State Police Command has arrested Mrs. Dorcas Asije and four other accomplices,” Ayanlade stated.
He added that the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) led a tactical team to ensure the swift apprehension of the suspects.
“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) and will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations. The public is advised to remain law-abiding and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station,” Ayanlade added.
In response to the incident, the Ondo State Government said it had launched an investigation to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the attack and warned that it would not tolerate any form of examination malpractice or violence within school premises.
The Administrative Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Akindele Ige, who led a team of Directors to the school for a fact-finding visit, condemned the assault in strong terms.
“The state government will never condone examination malpractices or hooliganism under any guise,” Ige said in a statement signed by the Director of Information and Media, Olaoluwa Meshack.
He warned that the use of mobile phones or any other devices capable of aiding examination malpractice was “totally prohibited in schools across the state during examinations, whether internal or external.”
Reiterating the government’s stance, Ige added, “The Ministry has clear policies on examination malpractices and will not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions against any student, staff, or school: whether public or private found guilty.”
