Stampede in Ibadan
Parents storm schools,
withdraw pupils
It ’s blackmail - Oyo Govt
From YINKA FABOWALE and
GBENGA ADESUYI, Ibadan
Friday, February 11, 2011
There was pandemonium in
Ibadan, the Oyo State capital
as thousands of panic-
stricken parents besieged
public schools in the
metropolis to withdraw their
children, following rumours
that some pupils died after
eating meal allegedly
poisoned but provided free by
the Adebayo Alao-Akala
government.
The poison scare was coming
even as the rumour mills went
abuzz that Governor Alao-
Akala planned to use 200
people for fetish rituals to
realize his second term
ambition But the state
government and the
governor ’s campaign
organization, swiftly
dismissed the reports,
describing them as wicked lies
and blackmail. Governor
Alao-Akala ’s Special Adviser
on Communication, Dotun
Oyelade, in a reaction, said
the development was an
attempt by political
opponents to blackmail his
principal as his
administration does not run a
free meal programme in
schools.
He assured state residents of
their safety.
Many public schools in the city
had become empty by 100pm,
after news made the round
that some officials and
politicians seeking elective
offices in the state were
distributing free food packs
from government round the
schools in the metropolis, of
which some school children
had died after eating thereof.
The food poison scare which
hit the city about noon
spread like wild fire, as
anonymous callers made calls
to parents and teachers in
schools, warning them not to
accept or allow their wards to
partake of the meal.
Parents, including civil
servants, market women and
housewives stormed primary
and secondary schools to
withdraw their children and
wards, on receiving the
alarming messages.
But most school premises were
scenes of chaos as hot
arguments ensued between
them and school authorities
following the latter ’s attempt
to prevent the parents, who
headed for the classrooms to
pick the pupils. Hundreds of
parents were sighted at
Mokola,, Oniyanrin, Odo Iye,
Oke Are, Opo Yeosa, Oje and
other parts of Ibadan rushing
to schools in the areas
ostensibly to beat the arrival
of the food distributors.
Similar situation played out in
areas such as Oke Ado,
Liberty road, NTC area,
Molete, Sango, Ojoo, Mokola,
Agodi gate,Old Ife
road,Alakia,Challenge,Muslim/
Odinjo area,Bodija,Basorun.
Some head teachers had to
resorte to locking school gates,
but this provoked serious
protests and agitation by the
teeming parents, some of who
threatened to break the
gates. Some even assaulted
teachers.
The development caused
security to be quickly beefed
up with armed policemen
stationed at strategic
locations including Oniyanrin
area to forestall break down
of law and order.
Some of the parents vowed
not to allow them back to
school until the state
government could publicly
assure their safety.
A nursing mother met at St.
Stephens Primary
school,Oniyanrin, however
told Daikly Sun that she had
to go to the school and pick
her seven year old daughter
when she heard the rumours,
declaring ” You don’t take
risks with politicians. I heard
some pupils ate akara(baked
beans) and died. They even
said some disappeared after
eating.
So I had to rush here and pick
my daughter. ” Investigations
at Adeoyo General Hospital,
the University College Hospital
(UCH) and some private
hospitals located around
Yemetu and Mokola areas of
Ibadan , where some of the
victims of the poisonous meal
were said to have been taken,
did not, however, reveal any
reported case. Teachers
declined comments on the
development, but some at C
and S New Eden Primary
School Mokola were overheard
saying they rexceived phone
calls warning them not to
receive the toxic food package
from the Akala men.
But, Oyelade, assured
residents of the state of their
safety, describing the whole
development as blackmail.