By Francis Ajuonuma
Management of Excel College Ejigbo, Lagos has described as malicious and witch-hunting, a recent video on the social media which portrayed students of the school in a bad light.
Recall that on September 15, 2025, a video went viral on the social, showing some students of the school smoking and drinking what is suspected to be alcohol at a social gathering within the school hostel premises in Ejigbo.
The the Lagos State Ministry of Education waded into the development and invited the management of the school as it began to investigate the content of l the video.
Reacting to the unfortunate development at an emergency PTA meeting of the school held on Saturday 20th of September, the Director of the school, Dr. Dele Oke explained that the video in question was far from the truth as it was doctored by those behind it to portray the school in a bad light with an ulterior motive to bring the school down.
According to him the video was two separate incidents that happened in April and May, but were made appear as if it was from same occasion by those behind the plot to achieve the objective of those behind it. In the video, one could hear the voice-over repeatedly saying, ‘withdraw your children from this school’.
He disclosed that the management of the school is on top of the matter as punitive measures are being taken against those found to have breached the school’s rules and regulations.
While expressing regrets over the unfortunate incident and accepting responsibility, Dr Oke assured that the management of the school haven learnt a lesson, has put in place measures to ensure that such doesn’t happen again.
”Yes, there were incidents that happened with our graduating students in April and May but what was presented on that video was far from the truth. Obviously there was manipulation in the video, in the sequence of events, and then it was sensationally doctored to achieve a mischievous objective. The video was saying they should take away students from the school. They should close down the school. And we all saw that.
”We’ve met with the police and officials of the ministry of Education in Lagos on their invitation. We’ve told them our own side of the story and we’ve also spoken with the parents on the situation; and I can tell you it will be resolved,” he said.
”Management of the school will do everything within it power to prevent incidents like this from happening, hence more CCTV cameras will be install in the hostels.
At the end of the emergency Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the parents expressed their total support to the management of the school, accepting that as parents they have a larger role to play in the proper upbring of their children, while advising the school to ensure that erring students are discipline within the ambit of the laws.
The PTA Chairman, Ndubuisi Udeagu said: The purpose of the meeting was to let the parents know that the school is ever ready to make amendments, work with Lagos State Government to make sure that the kids grow up to be the best of their strength, and that the school is not trying to hide anything because if they’ve been hearing it and have seen it online and the school did not call them, the parents may begin to be agitated and then the children too; and before you know it, they begin to feel unsafe within the school environment.
”However, the most important thing to take away from today’s meeting is that we all are on the same page and the management also is trying on their own. We support the management to march forward. Whatever is circulating on social media should border us less because truth is constant, lies will always be on a spindle to get to a point but we know that at the end of the day, truth prevails.
Other parents; Mrs. Judith Ekwebelem, Victor Anyali and Ogunlari Adewale, who also spoke, although were not supportive of the alleged misconduct of the students, but argued that such incident is not peculiar to a particular school, noting that the video seems to have been doctored to suit certain narrative.
They however advised fellow parents to live up to their responsibility of properly parenting their children at home.
”The incidents that happened can happen anywhere, not only in Nigeria. I have heard so many, several and they were handled well. As far as that serious one is handled well, our own in Excel College will be handled well too.
”Yes, parents have a larger part to play -100 per cent more than school. I’m telling you the truth. These generation of children are so clever that parents need extra efforts to guide them on the right part,” they said collectively.
