The Chairman of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in Alimosho, Lagos, Taiwo Lawal (aka Eniba), led six armed men to violently assault the 70-year-old proprietor of Meteorite Standard College in Ogun State for disciplining his son over lateness and improper dressing.

The incident, which occurred on October 23, has raised serious concerns about impunity and the safety of educational institutions.

A Discipline Met with Violence

According to the victim, Mr. Joseph Omokunle Afolayan, the altercation began when he spotted Eniba’s 10-year-old son, a JSS 1 student, arriving at school at 9:30 a.m.—over an hour after the official resumption time—and with his shirt untucked.

When Afolayan instructed the boy to kneel as a form of reprimand, the student fled the premises. He returned less than 20 minutes later with his father and six accomplices.

“The father told me that he is the OPC chairman in Alimosho… and that nobody can reprimand his son,” Afolayan recounted. “Before I knew it, he and his boys started beating me mercilessly. Blood gushed out from wounds on my head, nose, and ears.”

During the assault, which lasted about 20 minutes, a jackknife fell from Eniba’s pocket. The OPC leader reportedly boasted that no police force could challenge him.

A Pattern of Intimidation and a Controversial Settlement

Afolayan revealed this was not an isolated event but the culmination of repeated intimidation by Eniba. Previous conflicts erupted when the school reprimanded a female student for truancy and when Afolayan sent Eniba’s son home for unpaid fees.

The case was reported to the Ayetoro-Budo Police Division. However, the Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Akindele Okunoye, initially stated that operational protocols complicated Eniba’s arrest since he resides in Lagos State, just outside their jurisdiction.

When contacted by our correspondent, Eniba responded to a request for comment only with an exclamatory “Aah!” via text message.

In a surprising turn, DPO Okunoye later announced that the matter had been “settled amicably” after Eniba sent representatives to plead for peace and agreed to cover Afolayan’s medical expenses.

Lingering Physical and Systemic Wounds

Despite the settlement, the physical consequences for Afolayan are severe. A medical report confirmed “multiple bruises,” and the septuagenarian fears for his eyesight.

“Doctors have advised me to seek urgent treatment to prevent cataract infection. As I speak, my eyes still hurt and my vision is badly affected,” he said.

The incident exposes a dangerous precedent where armed vigilantes can invade a school and brutalise its principal with apparent impunity, only for the case to be resolved without legal consequences, leaving the victim to bear the scars.