Ondo completes rehabilitation programme for students arrested after post-WASSCE jubilation

The Ondo State Government says students arrested following a viral post-WASSCE celebration have completed a four-week rehabilitation and counselling programme.

The affected students were from Oyemekun Grammar School and Aquinas College in Akure.

They were sanctioned after videos circulated showing some students celebrating in the streets after completing their final West African Senior School Certificate Examination papers, including tearing uniforms and chanting inappropriate slogans.

According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the rehabilitation programme was organised with support from the Nigerian Correctional Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital.

Commissioner for Education Igbekele Ajibefun said the government deliberately chose counselling and rehabilitation rather than measures that could permanently damage the students’ future.

The programme included psycho-education, individual and group counselling, behavioural reflection and anger-management sessions.

The commissioner said the students’ names had been removed from the state’s “Black Book” and that their previously withheld WASSCE certificates would be released.

Officials said the students would continue to be monitored to ensure that improvements recorded during the programme were sustained