Officials from the Benue Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board faced a physical attack and saw their official vehicle destroyed after securing a court order to seal Orenda and Opal Schools.
The board, led by Executive Secretary Dr Terna Francis, visited the school premises alongside the Directorate of Enforcement and Compliance to serve the court warrant on the proprietor before locking up the facilities.
School proprietor Onyinye Okoye led staff members in an assault on Francis and his team following the service of the court order. The board reported that the incident featured verbal abuse directed at state officers alongside the deliberate destruction of an official government vehicle.
Rejection of government guidelines and maltreatment of pupils
State authorities took action against the institutions following parent petitions detailing forced book purchases and the mistreatment of children.
Government guidelines allow families to reuse older books previously bought for older children or purchase required items independently from commercial bookstores.
Orenda and Opal Schools ignored these rules by forcing parents to buy books directly from the institutions. Parents who bought books from external shops reported that school administrators refused to allow their children to use the items during current classes.
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School administrators informed parents to either buy new books directly from the schools or withdraw their children and seek admission elsewhere.
Pupils who brought external books into classrooms were turned away, while teachers left the homework of children unmarked if their parents could not afford the school-issued books, even when those parents had fully paid their tuition fees.
Legal intervention and requirements for reopening
Dr Terna Francis condemned these practices, stating that forcing parents to buy books directly from schools violates child rights and welfare laws in Benue State and Nigeria.
State authorities attempted to resolve the issue through administrative channels, but school leaders failed to attend a scheduled meeting. Consequently, the board approached the court through the Benue State Attorney-General to obtain an official order to close the premises.
The state government confirmed that the schools will stay locked until proprietors meet all set conditions, obey educational laws, and demonstrate full commitment to protecting the rights of pupils and parents.
Following the assault, the board emphasised that disputes with state regulatory bodies must go through proper legal channels instead of resorting to violence or intimidation.
Francis asked parents who face similar issues to submit written petitions accompanied by clear evidence to the agency, promising that all complaints will receive thorough investigation under the law.
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