Imota Community Junior Grammar School is now under security watch by local vigilante and government security agencies as the once peaceful and beautiful school came under three burglary attacks in one week between Monday, February 6, and Monday, February 13, 2017 by yet to be identified criminals.
During the attacks, the school lost the CCTV camera and modem in its solar powered house provided by the Lagos State Education Board as well as some properties, including four classroom facing board rails and damages to doors and windows which were deliberately smashed when according to sources the burglars could not gain entry into the principal’s office which appeared to be the main target of their operation during the weekend of February 4 & 5, 2017.
Sources close to the community told Oriwu Sun that the school authorities discovered the attempted break into the principals office on Monday February 6, 2017. The criminals were said to have planted leaves on the door handle to the principals office and a danger warning ‘keep off’. Then it was discovered that different offices including staff rooms and classrooms were vandalized in that first and subsequent days attacks.
Four of the fans removed were later found inside the solar house while the facing board railings were later discovered inside a nearby bush.
The principal of the school, Mrs. M. O. Ogundipe and her staff promptly reported the matter to the Tutor General’s office in Maryland and the palace of the Oba of Imota. The Kabiyesi, Oba FataiAjibadeAgoro who was not in town on February 6, 2017 received the second delegation of the school on Monday, February 13, 2017 and was said to have commenced investigation into the matter alongside the community vigilante group.
Fears of the safety of the staff and students of the school grew as many worried that the state government could shut down the school on security grounds as Ambode’s government would not want any citizen or resident of the state to be exposed to continuous danger.
It is not yet clear the motive of these attacks and the interest of the burglars in the principal’s office.
Mrs. Ogundipe, a hardworking and pleasant principal said to have turned around the fortunes of the school for better was said to have lamented that in her fifteen (15) years as principal in different schools, she had never witnessed this kind of unfortunate situation in her previous schools. She is wondering with her staff what could be responsible for this wickedness.
Meanwhile, Oriwu Sun learnt that this school which is the alma meter of some notable Nigerians including the Editor of Oriwu Sun, Hadji (Chief) KazimGaniu-Sanni, the incumbent vice principal admin of the same school, Mr. D. Akala and others is not leaving any stone unturned in its search to fish out the culprits.
Undercover agents and intelligence officers from different security organisations are said to be sniffing around to get those perpetrators of this act.