Babatope Okeowo 
Several people were awestruck when they heard that a Vice Principal of a private school, Mr Alexander Rotifa was assaulted by some hoodlums aided by the mother of a student who was prevented from cheating during examination by the teacher, Babatope Okeowo
A viral post on the assault of a Vice Principal (VP) of the Complete Child Development Centre, Akure, the Ondo State capital, Mr Alexander Rotifa, during secondary school leaving certificate examination drew the attention of the Ondo State Police Command, Ministry of Education and the public to the injustice meted to a man who is trying to help build a future for the children.
The VP was said to have seized a phone from one of the students during the examination. Irked by this, the boy’s mother was said to have allegedly mobilised suspected thugs to beat up the VP inflicting injuries on him in the process.
School speaks
According to the Principal of the school, Mrs. Chioma Avbayeru, trouble started when Rotifa, during a routine inspection, confiscated a mobile phone from an SS3 student, Elisha Wisdom. Mrs. Avbayeru said: “Normally, we search all students before exams. That day, the Vice Principal found a phone on Elisha, brought it to me, and I kept it in my office as per our procedures.
Later, the boy hovered around my office, clearly attempting to retrieve the phone, but I reminded him of the rules—that he would only get the phone back after his NECO exams. “The situation escalated later that Thursday after a heavy downpour had driven most staff and students indoors.
Around school closing hours, the student’s mother stormed into the premises, demanding the immediate return of her son’s phone, claiming it was her business line. I told her that no student was allowed to bring phones to school, but she became furious. After failing to retrieve it from me, she went to confront Mr. Rotifa.”
The confrontation, she said, later turned violent. Although the phone was eventually released on the directive of the school’s director in a bid to defuse the tension, she said the incident still took a darker turn later that evening. According to her, Rotifa was attacked around 8 p.m. near his residence, which is located close to the school.
Her words: “He came to our house, covered in blood. His eyes were swollen, his face was bleeding, and he was in a terrible state. He said he was dragged from a vehicle and beaten mercilessly.”
Mrs. Avbayeru claimed that the assailants, believed to include the student, a former student of the school, and their mother, had previously issued threats to Rotifa. She added that the VP had been taken to the hospital and would hopefully be discharged, but he remains unreachable and is deeply traumatised by the ordeal.
Police action
On learning about the incident, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, deployed a tactical team, under the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), to ensure the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the attack on the school official.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olusola Ayanlade Ayanlade, said the Police boss has ordered the immediate deployment of a tactical team and directed that all those involved must be arrested.
Ayanlade said the Police Boss has further directed that the operation should be taken over by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations to forestall further breakdown of law and order and proper coordination of the action.
In compliance with the directive of the Commissioner of Police, the Command promptly arrested Mrs. Dorcas Asije and four other accomplices. The case was transferred to SCID and was charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.
Parents fight back
But in a petition signed by the father of the student, Mr. Elisha Collins Imoukhuede, and directed to the Inspector General of Police, he alleged conspiracy between officers of the Police in Okuta Elerinla Divisional Police Station and staff of Complete Child Development Centre.
The petition read: “I write this petition as a deeply concerned parent and citizen to formally report acts of harassment, unlawful seizure, forced abduction, and defamation carried out with the alleged backing or participation of personnel from the Okuta Elerinla Police Station in Akure, Ondo State.
On May 28, 2025, my son, Elisha Wisdom, a pupil of Complete Child Development Centre, Awule, Akure, went to school with his mother’s mobile phone, which is used for her business operations. “His teacher confiscated the phone for allegedly violating school rules.
On May 29, 2025, I instructed his older brother, Elisha Ohiodion, to retrieve the phone from the school. However, the teachers refused, claiming he was not a legal guardian. Subsequently, their mother visited the school personally to retrieve the device, explaining its business relevance.
Despite this, the staff refused to return the phone until fellow parents intervened, urging them to stop infringing on her rights. “That same evening, at about 8:30 p.m., the school’s Vice Principal stormed my neighbourhood in the company of unidentified men. Shockingly, they forcefully took my 13-year-old nephew, Gideon Osesa—a student of FUTA Secondary School— who was running some errands for his mother, from the roadside into a vehicle.
“Fearing it was a case of kidnapping using a police vehicle, given there was no initial invitation and how he frantically pleaded and screamed ‘Please Let me Call My Mother’, concerned neighbours raised an alarm and gave chase. The child’s mother, upon being informed, joined the pursuit to rescue her son.
“During the ensuing chaos, one of the men, who later identified himself as the Vice Principal, suffered a minor physical injury. We are not aware of the exact circumstances leading to this, but we understand it occurred during the commotion sparked by fear of abduction.
There is video evidence of the entire encounter. “To make matters worse, the school has since issued false and malicious communications, widely circulated, and accusing my son of planning to cheat in his upcoming examinations. This is a serious defamation of the character and reputation of a minor and has caused him emotional trauma.
“Our Concerns: Unlawful seizure of personal property by the school, refusal to release said property despite the presence of the legal owner, alleged use of police operatives from Okuta Elerinla Police Station to intimidate, abduct, and detain a minor without a warrant or due process, defamation and harassment of a pupil with false accusations aimed at damaging his academic integrity, gross abuse of power by the school authority with apparent support or complicity of law enforcement officers.
“In light of the above, I respectfully request the following: A full investigation into the conduct of the Vice Principal and teachers of the Complete Child Development Centre.
A disciplinary and legal review of the actions of officers from Okuta Elerinla Police Station, who were allegedly used to harass and intimidate my family, immediate action is to protect my son’s reputation and welfare, Elisha Wisdom, from further defamation or victimisation.
“Sanctions, if appropriate, against all parties who participated in or facilitated the unlawful acts, for context, I have graduated two boys from the school who have completed their degrees at Redeemer’s University, and I currently have two children in the school. We have never had any incident with the school, and the school has my contact information.
“I would expect an invitation to the school the next day if there were any issues, and I would have handled them amicably. We are law-abiding citizens who believe in the Nigerian Constitution and the integrity of the Nigerian Police Force. We seek your prompt intervention to ensure justice is served and the rights of minors and families are protected.”
Education ministry’s report
In the preliminary report of the investigation on the incident, the Ministry of Education, through the Director of Schools, confirmed the attack on the school’s VP. The report was made available to New Telegraph by the Press Officer, Mr Olaoluwa Meshack.
The report said: “The incident started on Monday May 26, when an android phone was found with one SS 3 student which is contrary to the rules and regulations of the school and Mr Rotifa, the vice principal of the school, seized the phone from him.
“On Thursday, the mother of the student came to the school to fight with the school management so much that the proprietor of the school ordered that the phone be returned to her which was done.
“The brother of the student, who happens to be an old student of the school, later came to the school to harass the Vice Principal and threatened to deal with him. After school hours the boys were seen loitering in the street and the Proprietor was informed who told Mr Rotifa to go to the police station to lodge a complaint.
He went and two policemen took him in their van to look for the boys, probably for arrest. They couldn’t get them. “As they were going back to the station, the boys waylaid the Police Van, stopped it, brought out Mr Rotifa and beat him up.
He was taken to the hospital for treatment. According to the principal of the school, he has been discharged from the hospital but did not go back to his house for fear of the boys coming back for him. “Further investigations and efforts to find the culprit are in progress. Arrangements for the safety of the staff and students of the school for the period of the remaining papers in WASSCE are ongoing.”
FG reacts
The Federal Ministry of Education has strongly condemned the unfortunate incident that occurred at Complete Child Development College, Aule, Akure, Ondo State, where suspected thugs, allegedly hired by the parents of a student, assaulted the Vice Principal, Mr. Rotifa.
The Vice principal was assaulted for performing his lawful duty of upholding the integrity of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The minister Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa gave the condemnation in a statement issued through the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, the Minister commended the swift intervention of Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the State Police Command, which led to the arrest of the suspects, including Mrs. Dorcas Asije and four others.
He called for thorough investigations and the prosecution of all those involved to serve as a deterrent. His words: “Any parent or guardian who enables, supports, or participates in such criminal behaviour will be prosecuted.
This administration will not tolerate any attempt to undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s education system.” The minister urged schools to remain vigilant and collaborate with law enforcement agencies and state education ministries to ensure safe, fair, and credible examination environments.
He said the Federal Ministry of Education stands firmly with the management and staff of Complete Child Development College, and by extension, all education stakeholders nationwide, who continue to uphold the values of discipline, accountability, and academic excellence while resisting examination malpractice.”
IGP’s Action
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun has taken over the prosecution of the suspects who assaulted the VP. The suspects have been remanded in Olokuta Correctional Centre until the next adjourned date.
