Confusion and panic erupted at Ijaiye Ojokoro Junior College in the Ojokoro area of Lagos on Wednesday after a classroom demonstration on banditry was mistaken for a real attack, causing students, teachers and residents to flee for safety.
The incident occurred during the weekly National Awareness Day programme observed in schools across Lagos State.
According to reports, the theme of the day’s sensitisation exercise focused on banditry and the dangers posed by criminal groups.
In an attempt to make the session more practical and engaging, a teacher reportedly dressed up as a bandit to demonstrate how such criminals operate and appear to members of the public.
However, the exercise quickly descended into chaos when the teacher arrived at the school assembly ground dressed in the costume.
An eyewitness said students immediately believed that an actual bandit had invaded the school premises.
“As soon as the teacher stepped out of his vehicle and approached the assembly ground, confusion erupted. The students thought he was a real bandit and began running in different directions,” the witness said.
The panic soon spread beyond Ijaiye Ojokoro Junior College, affecting three other schools within the same educational complex.
According to the eyewitness, frightened students from neighbouring schools joined the stampede after hearing people shouting that bandits had invaded the area.
“Students from the neighbouring schools heard people shouting, ‘Bandits! Bandits!’ and also fled. Some teachers joined in the rush to safety, and the entire school environment, including nearby streets, became chaotic,” the witness added.
The development prompted anxious parents and guardians to rush to the schools to evacuate their children after receiving reports of an alleged attack.
A resident who witnessed the incident said rumours of a violent invasion spread rapidly throughout the community.
“I was on my morning walk when I saw students running frantically. When I asked what was happening, they said bandits had entered their school and were killing people,” the resident recalled.
The witness said he later visited the school to confirm the situation and met one of the principals, who explained that the panic stemmed from a dramatized presentation intended to educate students about banditry.
“On getting there, I met one of the principals, who explained that the panic was caused by a teacher attempting to dramatise the awareness topic on banditry,” he said.
Another resident, Joshua Ekong, also confirmed that the misunderstanding created widespread fear among residents and disrupted activities in the area before the true circumstances became known.
The incident comes amid heightened concerns over school safety across Nigeria following recent reports of kidnappings and attacks targeting educational institutions, making many parents and students particularly sensitive to any perceived security threat.
