The Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Mr. Taiwo Adegoroye, has directed the immediate closure of all public and private schools within the council area following growing security concerns.
Adegoroye announced the decision after an emergency security meeting with relevant stakeholders, saying the measure was necessary to safeguard the lives of pupils, students, teachers, and other school personnel amid reports of potential security threats in parts of the local government.
According to the council chairman, intelligence reports and recent developments necessitated proactive action to prevent any breach of security that could endanger residents, particularly schoolchildren. He noted that the closure was a precautionary measure aimed at ensuring that educational institutions do not become targets of criminal activities.
The chairman directed school administrators, proprietors, and heads of public institutions to comply fully with the directive pending further review of the security situation. He assured parents and guardians that the local government, in collaboration with security agencies, was taking all necessary steps to maintain peace and protect lives and property.
Adegoroye also urged residents to remain calm and vigilant while cooperating with security agencies by reporting suspicious movements and activities within their communities. He emphasized that security operatives had been deployed to strategic locations across the local government to strengthen surveillance and deter criminal elements.
The closure has generated concern among parents and education stakeholders, many of whom expressed hope that the situation would be brought under control quickly to allow academic activities to resume. Authorities have assured the public that schools will be reopened as soon as security assessments indicate that it is safe to do so.
