Governor Shuts Two Schools, Arrests Principal Over 12-Year-Old Pupil’s D£ath
Governor Shuts Two Schools, Arrests Principal Over 12-Year-Old Pupil’s Death
He disclosed that the child died on Saturday, July 5, 2025, while on his way to write the Middle Basic Assessment Examination, also known as the First School Leaving Certificate Examination.
The Edo State government has withdrawn the operational licences of two private schools following the tragic death of a 12-year-old pupil, Nathan Paul Spencer.
The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, announced the decision during a condolence visit to the bereaved family.
He disclosed that the child died on Saturday, July 5, 2025, while on his way to write the Middle Basic Assessment Examination, also known as the First School Leaving Certificate Examination.
As part of the immediate actions taken, the head of one of the affected schools has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Iyamu said, “The tragedy occurred during a heavy downpour that caused severe flooding in the area. An investigation revealed that the management of the pupil’s school had registered him to write the examination at a different school without informing his parents.”
“Furthermore, it was revealed that the Head of the school had taken the registration fee from Nathan’s parents in Ovia Local Government and had negligently taken the child to another school in Egor Local Government for the examination.
“Tragically, Nathan fell into a gutter and drowned during the heavy rain when he was trekking him from the local Government to another.”
The Commissioner, expressing deep displeasure over the tragic incident, conveyed Governor Monday Okpebholo’s heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.
He assured that the state government would thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure that all those responsible for the pupil’s death are brought to justice.
In a related development, the Commissioner disclosed that two other private schools face imminent closure for allegedly extorting illegal fees from over 200 students without official approval.
He explained that the heads of the schools conspired to collect the fees, diverted the payments into the State Internally Generated Revenue account, and used one of the schools as an unauthorised examination center.
As a result, the affected children were left stranded in the rain until officials from the Ministry of Education intervened.
The Commissioner urged parents to remain vigilant and not entrust their children to individuals masquerading as legitimate school proprietors.
