The Oyo State Government, on Tuesday, arrested eight persons for establishing a block making industry illegally on the land belonging to the Community Basic School Ologuneru area of the state.
Dr Nureni Adeniran, the Executive Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), said the eight persons would be brought to justice in a statement to newsmen in Ibadan.
According to him, the arrest is in line with the state’s zero-tolerance for unlawful occupation and operation on the premises of the state public schools.
Adeniran and his team were monitoring the completed model school situated at Agbopa-Akufo farm settlement in Ido Local Government, under the FGN-UBEC/OYOSUBEB intervention project.
He said he was displeased with the activities of the block makers in the school premises.
“We made the arrest following the enforcement and monitoring exercises conducted by the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board.
”The arrest is aimed at protecting public school facilities and infrastructure in this COVID-19 stay-at-home period for pupils,” he said.
The executive chairman said the invasion constituted security risks to the school, adding that classrooms, toilets and boreholes erected in the school had been destroyed by the owners of the block making industry.
“In fact, they have turned one of our classrooms into a bedroom with their personal belongings scattered around the school.
”In some locations, these illegal operators and invaders have taken over some of our public schools, despite the fact that these schools are fenced round.
“They forcefully break in, destroy government properties and create nuisance on government schools across the state,” he said.
Adeniran said that the eight illegal business operators arrested would be taken to court and prosecuted according to the law.
He said it would serve as a deterrent to others perpetrating such acts.
According to him, a section of the premises is used for molding blocks and another section for arranging the blocks.
Adeniran said that they started using the school land since the novel coronavirus started ravaging the state.
He said the Oyo State Government under the leadership of Gov. Seyi Makinde, had zero tolerance for this kind of lawlessness and impunity.
Adeniran said the monitoring exercise was expected to continue in other parts of the state in the coming weeks until the resumption of schools.
He called on individuals to desist from disrespecting government; forcefully gaining entrance into public schools for business purposes, warning that anyone caught, would face the wrath of the law.
