The Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, has called for collective action to tackle school violence, drug abuse, cultism, truancy and hooliganism in Ogbomosoland.
The monarch made the call after convening a stakeholders’ meeting involving security agencies, education authorities, school administrators, traditional institutions, parents and community leaders to address growing security concerns in schools across the area.
The meeting, themed “Curbing Drug, Cultism and Violence – Recording, Rehabilitating and Restoring Our Schools,” emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to safeguard schools and protect the future of young people.
Oba Olaoye expressed concern over incidents of inter-school clashes, bullying, destruction of school property, threats against teachers, truancy and the activities of former students and out-of-school youths around school premises.
He warned that the safety of schools was a collective responsibility, stressing that the future of Ogbomosoland could be threatened if urgent measures were not taken to address the challenges.
The monarch appreciated the contributions of the Nigeria Police Force, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amotekun Corps, education authorities, school administrators, teachers, traditional leaders and other stakeholders at the meeting.
He identified early intervention as a critical measure in preventing school violence, calling for the identification of troubling behavioural patterns from the primary school level, improved intelligence gathering and surveillance, and increased security around identified hotspots.
The Soun also urged parents to take greater responsibility for the upbringing of their children, noting that the responsibility of raising disciplined and responsible young people should not be left entirely to teachers.
According to him, character formation begins at home, is reinforced in school and sustained by the wider community.
He advocated a balanced approach that prioritises the correction and rehabilitation of young offenders while ensuring that persistent offenders face appropriate, firm and lawful consequences.
Oba Olaoye, however, stressed that efforts to tackle school-related offences must respect the rights and dignity of children, particularly minors, while ensuring accountability for actions that endanger others.
The monarch further linked the initiative to his broader vision of building a safer and more prosperous Ogbomosoland, noting that sustainable development, investment, job creation and economic growth could not thrive in an environment where schools were unsafe and young people were exposed to drugs, violence and cultism.
He maintained that the development of Ogbomosoland required not only infrastructure and economic opportunities but also discipline, responsible citizenship and a secure learning environment.
The Soun called on all stakeholders to move beyond expressions of concern to concrete action, emphasising the need to strengthen accountability, prioritise prevention and establish a united front against threats to schools.
He reiterated that protecting schools amounted to protecting children and securing the future of Ogbomosoland.
