TheCable

The house of representatives has asked Usman Baba, inspector-general of police, to take over the probe of Sylvester Oromoni’s death.

The lower legislative chamber also directed the federal ministry of education to set up guidelines for the operation of boarding schools across the country.

Unyime Idem, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker from Akwa Ibom, moved a motion on the issue on Tuesday.

In recent months, there have been cases of molestation of students, especially in boarding schools.

The latest incident involved Oromoni, who was allegedly beaten and fed a liquid chemical by his seniors for refusing to join a cult group.

Speaking on the floor of the house, Idem said: “Some Nigerians on the social space have been voicing out their bitter experiences with the boarding school system.

“Social organisations have attacked the ministry of women affairs and the ministry of education over their silence and complexity on the several incidences of killings and abnormal behaviours in public schools across the country.

“The federal government should without delay launch a national campaign, the campaign should include advocacy, public sensitisation and social mobilisation, as it will take the joint effort of government, school management and parents to curb ugly happening in our schools.”

Contributing to the motion, Babajide Obanikoro, a lawmaker from Lagos, said the students who allegedly molested Oromoni should be placed on a no-flight list.

“In this particular matter, there are five students involved. Their names should be placed on the no-flight list and that the school, as shut down by the Lagos government, should remain shut until the investigations are over and the school is cleared of all these allegations,” he said.

Also speaking, Victor Akinjo from Ondo, said the development is a “huge embarrassment,” adding that schools have been made a breeding ground of cultism.

“It is the responsibility of the regulators to do proper oversight, to do what is right and save Nigeria from this embarrassment. It is a huge embarrassment for those schools to be converted to a cultists medium,” he said.

The motion was adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Idris Wase, deputy speaker of the house.

The house subsequently mandated its committees on education, youth, women affairs and social development, safety and standards to follow up with the investigation.