The Ondo State Government has rehabilitated and reoriented some students of Oyemekun Grammar School and Aquinas College, Akure, who were arrested following controversial celebrations after completing their West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
The state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology disclosed that the four-week rehabilitation programme was organised during the holiday in collaboration with the Nigerian Correctional Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital.
The students had previously featured in viral videos showing them celebrating on the streets after writing their final examination papers. The government said the conduct included tearing school uniforms and chanting inappropriate slogans, prompting authorities to take disciplinary action against some of those involved.
Speaking on the rehabilitation programme, the Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said the initiative was designed to correct negative behaviour, promote discipline and help the students understand the consequences of actions that could threaten public safety or disrupt social order.
Ajibefun said the government deliberately opted for counselling and rehabilitation rather than relying solely on punitive measures that could negatively affect the students’ future.
He further disclosed that the affected students’ names had been removed from the state’s “Black Book” and that their previously withheld WASSCE certificates would be released.
The commissioner urged the students to sustain the behavioural changes achieved during the programme, reminding them that their actions reflected not only on themselves but also on their families and the country.
The Director of Guidance and Counselling, Continuous Assessment and Evaluation in the ministry, Mrs Olufunke Ademuyiwa, said the four-week programme included psycho-education, individual and group counselling, behavioural reflection and anger-management sessions.
According to her, the students also visited the Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital and a correctional facility in Akure for educational tours and counselling sessions with professionals. She said the students demonstrated significant positive changes and expressed willingness to encourage other young people to make responsible choices.
The state NDLEA command also participated in the programme. The command’s representative, Funmilayo Bamisaye, urged the students to make responsible decisions concerning their conduct and the peers they associate with.
Similarly, the Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Oyewole Adedayo, cautioned the students against behaviour that could eventually expose them to criminal activities and imprisonment.
Adedayo also called on parents and teachers to play a stronger role in monitoring young people’s behaviour and upbringing, stressing the importance of parental guidance in shaping responsible adults.
The rehabilitation programme followed earlier sanctions imposed after videos of the students’ post-examination celebrations generated public attention.
The state government has now said it will continue monitoring the rehabilitated students to ensure that the behavioural changes recorded during the programme are sustained.
The development represents a shift in the state’s approach to the incident, combining accountability with counselling and rehabilitation rather than allowing the disciplinary action to permanently affect the students’ educational prospects.
