The Edo State Government has ordered the temporary closure of three public secondary schools in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area following intelligence reports of a potential kidnapping threat targeting students.

The affected schools are Ososo Grammar School, Ososo Comprehensive High School and Makeke Secondary School.

The directive, issued through the State Ministry of Education, followed security advisories warning of possible attacks on educational institutions in the area.

In a circular signed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Enodolomwanyi Otamere, the government said the closure was a precautionary measure aimed at protecting students, teachers and host communities pending further security assessments.

Sources familiar with the development revealed that intelligence gathered by security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), indicated that suspected criminal elements were plotting attacks on schools in Edo North Senatorial District.

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According to the sources, kidnappers may have shifted focus to schools after previous attempts to abduct wealthy individuals reportedly yielded little financial gain. Security operatives were also said to have intercepted information suggesting that attacks on schools could attract quicker attention and higher ransom payments.

Tension heightened after the arrest of a suspect allegedly caught conducting surveillance around Makeke Secondary School in early June. Investigators believe the development may be connected to the reported threat.

Following the intelligence reports, security agencies advised the state government to take preventive measures, including strengthening security around schools and other public facilities. Recommendations reportedly included increased patrols, enhanced intelligence gathering and closer collaboration with local vigilante groups and community security outfits.

The ministry announced that all academic and administrative activities in the affected schools have been suspended until further notice.

However, candidates participating in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will continue to sit for their papers under enhanced security arrangements.

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The government said security personnel and community stakeholders would work together to ensure the safety of examination candidates throughout the exercise.

School authorities have been directed to facilitate the safe return of students to their parents and guardians, secure school facilities and maintain close communication with security agencies during the closure period.

The state government appealed to residents to remain calm and cooperate with security personnel, assuring them that efforts are underway to neutralise any threat and restore normal academic activities as soon as possible.

A middle-aged woman has been arrested by the police in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State for allegedly throwing her five-year-old physically challenged son into a river after a self-proclaimed prophet reportedly told her that the child was a python.
The suspect was apprehended by angry residents shortly after the incident at a riverbank in the community.
According to reports, the woman confessed that she acted on the instruction of a spiritualist based in Benin City, who allegedly convinced her that the child was responsible for her inability to have more children.
The woman explained that she had suffered several miscarriages after giving birth to the child and sought spiritual assistance in an effort to overcome her fertility challenges.
In a video circulating on social media, the suspect reportedly said: “Every pregnancy ended in miscarriage. A seer told me to put my five-year-old child inside the river and that I would be able to give birth again. The seer said if I put my baby inside the river, the child would turn into a python.”
She claimed the spiritualist convinced her that the physically challenged child was a spiritual obstacle preventing her from conceiving successfully.
Acting on the alleged advice, she reportedly took the child to a nearby river and threw him into the water.
Residents who noticed her suspicious movements near the riverbank reportedly rushed to the scene but arrived after the child had already been thrown into the river.
The woman was immediately detained by community members and later handed over to law enforcement authorities.
The incident has sparked outrage among residents, child rights advocates and public health experts, who condemned the role of superstition and misinformation in the tragedy.
The suspect is currently in police custody and is expected to face prosecution.
Meanwhile, community leaders and human rights groups have called for the arrest and prosecution of the self-styled prophet alleged to have influenced the woman to commit the act.
Police authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

The Enugu State Police Command has dismissed as false a viral social media report alleging that armed herdsmen attacked a school in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state.

The Command said investigations and security assessments conducted following the circulation of the report confirmed that no such incident occurred in Ezeagu or any other part of Enugu State.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the Command described the report as a deliberate fabrication capable of creating fear, panic, and confusion among residents, particularly school administrators, teachers, students, and parents.

According to the police, operatives immediately carried out on-the-spot security assessments, intelligence gathering, operational checks, and discreet investigations, all of which established that the alleged attack never took place.

The Command condemned the spread of false information and warned that those responsible for originating and disseminating the report would be identified and prosecuted.

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The Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has directed the Command’s Tactical and Intelligence Units to intensify efforts to track down the perpetrators and ensure they face the full weight of the law.

The police boss reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and maintaining peace and public order across Enugu State.

He urged residents to disregard the report, remain calm and vigilant, and continue to report suspicious activities to security agencies.

The Command also encouraged members of the public to make use of its emergency lines — 08032003702, 08086671202, 112, 09134666668, and 09134448093 — to report security concerns.

The police reiterated that misinformation and alarmist reports pose a threat to public peace and warned against the dissemination of unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic.

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