Bukola Afeni
The Edo State Government has ordered a police investigation into a viral video showing a brutal assault involving students of Igbinedion Education Centre in Benin City, announcing that the parents of those responsible could face prosecution.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily on Monday, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, described the incident as deeply troubling and confirmed that the government has constituted a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack.
According to Afegbua, the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo has already taken immediate action by expelling the students involved and directing the police to pursue the matter further.
“It is quite disturbing when we heard about it. We were trying to understand what could have led to such behaviour,” Afegbua said during the programme. “It is completely unacceptable, and there is no justification for that kind of treatment.”
He added that the government’s response goes beyond the disciplinary action taken by the school.
“It is not just about the expulsion,” he said. “The police have been directed to ensure the students involved are arrested and made to face the full weight of the law.”
Afegbua also disclosed that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, has assured authorities that the parents of the students implicated in the incident will report to the police headquarters in Benin City as part of the investigation.
He said the police are determined to pursue prosecution once their inquiries are concluded in order to deter similar incidents in the future.
“This should serve as a wake-up call to parents and teachers,” Afegbua said. “One would expect an institution like Igbinedion Education Centre to have strict disciplinary structures, effective monitoring, and strong internal vigilance over students.”
The commissioner noted that the incident might have remained unknown if it had not been recorded and shared online.
The video, which has circulated widely on social media, shows two students physically attacking a younger boy believed to be in a junior class. In the footage, the victim is repeatedly beaten, kicked and dragged along the floor while crying out in pain.
