2 Pupils set school on fire in Ogun State

The Ogun State Police Command has taken two primary school pupils into custody over allegations that they set their school on fire in the Isheri-Olofin area of Ifo Local Government Area.

This incident was confirmed by the command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, in a statement released on Sunday.

According to the statement, the two minors, aged six and nine, gained unauthorized access to the school premises and set fire to some books left behind by teachers, resulting in damage to the school’s property.

The pupils are residents of the Isheri Olofin community and were apprehended by the Anti-Crime and Detectives Unit following a report by a community chief.

The statement from the police spokesperson reads,

“Two pupils of Community Primary School, Isheri Olofin, aged six years and nine years, both residents of the Isheri Olofin community, have been apprehended for setting fire to their school and properties of the school on October 29, 2023.

“The incident was reported to the police by a chief in the community. According to the report, the minors gained access to one of the unlocked classrooms at Community Primary School Isheri Olofin.

“They then proceeded to gather books left behind by the teachers and pupils and set them on fire. The value of the damaged books is currently unknown.”

Upon receiving the report, the police’s Anti-Crime and Detectives Unit visited the scene and brought the children to the police station for interrogation.

The police have also expressed their intention to invite the parents of the minors for questioning to better understand the circumstances surrounding their children’s actions.

Odutola stated,

“The police have started making inquiries on how to contact their parents as this is a very serious crime for these children to get themselves involved with.

“The police will unravel and update members of the public in due course if there are other persons who may have instigated the youngsters.”