Suspected ritualists have abducted and killed an 8-year-old pupil of St. Joseph’s African Church Primary School in Odootu/Odogbe, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State. The tragic incident reportedly occurred during school hours on Tuesday, January 23, 2024.
Although details of the incident remain unclear, it was reported that the young girl went to the school’s restroom and did not return to her class. Her mutilated body was later discovered, with some of her body parts, including both wrists and a leg, allegedly missing.
On Wednesday, January 24, Hon. Badejo Folusho, the Executive Chairman of Ijebu North East Local Government, reportedly visited the school to express condolences and address the unfortunate incident. Following this, he engaged in discussions with a community stakeholder, Baba Atayese, to address identified challenges and find solutions.
The Chairman then visited the family of the deceased 8-year-old girl to offer condolences. Accompanying him were Hon Bariyu Adeniyi, the Local Government Vice Chairman, Yeye Onadipe Iyabo, the local government Secretary, Mrs Olubukonla Kajero Iseda, Supervisor for Education Information & Community Development, and Hon Taiwo Sanwo, the Legislative Majority Leader, among others.
Various officials such as Local Government Holga, Pastor Awobotu, LG Information Director Mrs. Funmi, Zonal Education Officer Mr. V O Amosu, Local Government Educational Secretary Mr. Awoyemi, and Chief Monitoring Officer Alhaji M A Kazeem, were also present.
In response to the tragedy, Hon. Seun Adesanya, the representative for Ijebu-North in the State House of Assembly, extended sincere condolences to the victim’s family and pledged collaborative efforts to enhance school security. Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, he conveyed sympathy to the grieving family, staff, pupils, and the entire Odotu/Odogbe community. He emphasized the commitment to work with the executive arm of the government and security agencies to strengthen safety measures in schools across the local government, aiming to prevent such heinous acts and ensure the safety of all students.
