- Teacher’s Roleplay on Banditry Sparks Mass Panic Among Lagos Students
- Students Flee, Parents Rush In
- The panic quickly spread beyond Ijaiye Ojokoro Junior College, affecting three other schools located within the same educational complex
Panic and confusion erupted at Ijaiye Ojokoro Junior College in the Ojokoro area of Lagos on Wednesday after a classroom demonstration on banditry was mistaken for a real attack, causing students, teachers and residents to flee for safety.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the incident occurred during the school’s weekly National Awareness Day programme, held at the educational complex on Tigbetigbe Street, Ojokoro.
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According to eyewitnesses, the awareness session focused on educating students about banditry and related security threats. To make the presentation more practical, a teacher reportedly dressed as a bandit to demonstrate how criminal elements often appear and operate.
However, the exercise took an unexpected turn when the teacher arrived at the assembly ground in full costume.
An eyewitness said the sight of the teacher immediately sparked fear among students, many of whom believed a genuine bandit had invaded the school.
“As soon as the teacher stepped out of his vehicle and approached the assembly area, students began running in different directions. They thought a real bandit had entered the school,” the witness said.
The panic quickly spread beyond Ijaiye Ojokoro Junior College, affecting three other schools located within the same educational complex.
According to another eyewitness, students from neighbouring schools heard cries of “Bandits! Bandits!” and also joined the stampede. Some teachers reportedly fled alongside the students as fear gripped the entire area.
The confusion extended into surrounding streets, prompting concerned parents and guardians to rush to the schools to retrieve their children after receiving reports of an alleged attack.
A resident, who was taking a morning walk when the incident occurred, said rumours of a violent invasion spread rapidly through the community.
“I saw students running frantically and when I asked what happened, they claimed bandits had entered the school and were killing people. I immediately went to verify the situation,” the resident said.
Upon arrival, the resident said a school principal clarified that the panic stemmed from a teacher’s attempt to dramatise the awareness programme on banditry.
Another resident, Joshua Ekong, confirmed that the misunderstanding generated widespread anxiety and temporarily disrupted activities in the community before the true circumstances emerged.
No injuries were reported, and normalcy was later restored after school authorities explained the situation to students, parents and residents.
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