KING’S COLLEGE CRISIS DEEPENS AS CIVIL SERVANTS ACCUSE POLICE, OLD BOYS OF ASSAULT

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Fresh tension has erupted at King’s College, Lagos, following allegations by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria that policemen and members of the King’s College Old Boys Association invaded the school premises and assaulted workers and parents.

The union alleged that the police operation, which it said was led by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, involved the forceful opening of the school gates, gunshots fired into the air, physical assault of civil servants and the arrest of a child of a protesting parent.

The development reportedly occurred amid ongoing discussions between the Federal Ministry of Education, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and ASCSN over the proposed concession of the historic institution.

In a statement issued by its National President and General-Secretary, Shehu Mohammed and Joshua Apebo, respectively, the union condemned what it described as a violent invasion of the school.

According to ASCSN, the incident occurred around 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, when armed policemen allegedly stormed the school premises and used a generating set to force open the padlocked gates.

The union further alleged that shots were fired into the air during the operation, while some civil servants were physically assaulted, leaving several workers injured.

ASCSN also claimed that the child of a parent participating in the protest was arrested during the incident.

The union alleged that the police operation was carried out to grant members of KCOBA access to the school for a press engagement, describing the incident as a further escalation of the dispute over the proposed concession.

It said the development was particularly concerning as it occurred less than 24 hours after a meeting involving the Minister of Education, TUC and ASCSN on the concession proposal.

“At the very moment when dialogue and lawful processes were underway, state security forces were deployed to sabotage trust, undermine negotiations, and intimidate workers,” the union alleged.

ASCSN also accused KCOBA of allegedly using the police to intimidate civil servants who, according to the union, were exercising their right to oppose what it described as the proposed commercialisation of the institution.

The union called on the Inspector-General of Police to withdraw police personnel from the school, arguing that the force should not be deployed to interfere in the dispute.

ASCSN said the incident had further eroded its confidence in KCOBA’s engagement with labour and could affect the implementation of agreements reached between the Federal Ministry of Education, TUC and the union.

The union commended its members and parents who participated in the protest, saying it remained committed to defending public education and protecting the rights of its members.

It warned that continued reliance on force rather than dialogue could trigger further lawful action by its members.

The allegations by ASCSN had not been independently verified as of the time of filing this report.