The Ondo State Government has completed the rehabilitation and reorientation of students from two secondary schools in Akure who were arrested following a controversial celebration after their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
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The affected students are from Oyemekun Grammar School and Aquinas College, Akure. They were arrested after videos showing them engaging in what the state government described as wild and indecent acts during their post-examination celebration went viral.
The Ondo State education-support-for-abia-jamb-high-scorer/">Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said the four-week rehabilitation programme was conducted during the school holiday in collaboration with the Nigerian Correctional Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital.
The programme included psycho-education, individual and group counselling, behavioural reflection and anger management.
Speaking on the initiative, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said the programme was designed to help the students understand the consequences of their actions, develop discipline and adopt responsible behaviour.
Rather than relying solely on punishment, the state government opted for counselling and rehabilitation, saying this approach would help prevent the incident from negatively affecting the students’ future.
The commissioner also disclosed that the students’ names had been removed from the state’s Black Book, while their previously withheld WASSCE certificates would be released.
He urged the students to maintain the positive changes achieved during the programme and reminded them that their actions could affect their families and communities.
The Director of Guidance and Counselling, Continuous Assessment and Evaluation in the ministry, Mrs Olufunke Ademuyiwa, said the students showed significant improvement during the four-week programme.
According to her, the students participated in educational visits and counselling sessions at the Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital and the Correctional Centre in Akure.
She added that some of the students had expressed willingness to help other young people make better decisions.
The NDLEA and Nigerian Correctional Service also participated in the programme, with officials advising the students to make responsible choices and avoid behaviours that could lead to criminal activities.
The state government said it would continue to monitor the students to ensure that the behavioural changes recorded during the rehabilitation programme are sustained.
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