Lagos Teacher's Arrest Over Drama Presentation Causes Outrage

Colleagues of a teacher in Lagos, Peter Shodipe from Ijaiye Ojokoro Junior College, have asked officials to look into the events surrounding a drama presentation that caused panic among students.

Shodipe was arrested after a program organized by the National Value Education Department led to confusion. Some students thought a drama about banditry was a real attack.

The incident happened during a co-curricular activity on a Wednesday. Frightened students screamed that bandits had invaded the school, which caught the police's attention.

A source from the school told our reporter on Saturday that Shodipe was only doing his job for an approved educational activity. A teacher, who wanted to stay anonymous to avoid trouble, explained that the program was part of National Awareness Day. It aimed to teach students about insecurity, especially banditry and kidnapping.

According to the source, the National Value Education Department, made up of teachers from various subjects, planned a talk, quiz competition, and drama presentation about insecurity. Shodipe was in charge of the drama and selected JSS3 students for the performance. He also supervised rehearsals a day before the event.

The source said, “The drama was not just for fun. It was part of a larger educational program. We prepared quiz questions, assigned tasks to teachers, and planned awareness talks.

“The drama was meant to help students grasp the reality of insecurity and the need for vigilance. It was never meant to entertain or to be shared on social media.”

Preparations for the program began early on the morning of the event within the school. The teacher noted that officials from the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps were present during the preparations.

“Students changed into costumes near the school gate while the officials watched everything. A staff member even provided a bus to use as a prop, which stayed on the school grounds during preparations.

“Some parents dropping off their kids also saw students in costumes and understood that a drama was about to happen,” the source added.

Confusion broke out when the bus was moved into position for the performance. Some students who did not know about the activity began shouting, “Bandits! Bandits!” This caused panic among other students and staff.

Frightened students ran into nearby schools, and some even dashed onto the roads. This made worried residents notify security agencies.

Another teacher, who also wished to remain unnamed, said police arrived and arrested Shodipe. “When the police got there, they first went to the principal’s office. The principal then took them to the staffroom, where Mr Shodipe was pointed out.

“Education officials and school administrators tried to help, but the matter had already escalated before the teacher was taken to the state command headquarters,” the source said.

Shodipe's arrest has raised concerns among his colleagues, especially after Lagos State Commissioner of Police Tijani Fatai called it content creation. During a meeting with police officers on Friday, he said, “I remember a teacher tried to create content around banditry. Some other students, who were not there, heard about this and it caused a lot of confusion in the school.”

He also warned content creators against causing panic, stating that anyone found making unnecessary content about security issues would face the law.

But the colleagues strongly disagreed with this view. They insisted that calling the activity content creation misrepresented what happened. The teacher added, “We were shocked to hear it described that way. This was not a skit for social media. Nobody was creating content.

“Mr Shodipe is a classroom teacher. He was assigned by the department to coordinate part of an officially approved school program, just like other teachers handled the quiz and awareness sessions. Everything was part of teaching and learning.”

The source stated that the plans, rehearsals, and other program elements showed the exercise was educational. “If this was a personal project, people might understand the allegation. But this was a departmental activity involving many teachers and students. There were meetings, preparations, and assigned tasks. The panic that followed does not change the program's original purpose.

“The program involved several teachers and was part of activities approved by the department. What happened was an unintended result of a role-play exercise, not an attempt to create online content or raise false alarms,” the source added.

The teacher recognized that communication issues might have led to the misunderstanding but said any problems should be seen as administrative, not criminal. “We are not saying everything was perfect. Looking back, maybe more people should have been informed because of the sensitive topic. But there is a difference between a planning mistake and a crime. Nobody meant to cause panic, and nobody benefitted from what happened,” the source added.

The sources also urged the authorities to listen to testimonies from parents, security personnel, students, and staff who saw the preparations before making any decisions.

“What we want is fairness. Let investigators talk to the teachers who planned the program, the security personnel who were there, and the parents who saw the students getting ready for the drama.

“We believe Mr Shodipe deserves a fair hearing and should not be punished for what seems to have been a misunderstanding.”

Reports say Shodipe’s family has tried but failed to see him since his detention.

When reached for comment, the Secretary of the National Union of Teachers in Lagos State, Gbenga Ayetobo, said the union had no information on the incident. “No information for now, please,” he said.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, did not respond to calls or texts for comment by the time of this report.