The Olabisi Onabanjo University’s (OOU) Students’ Union Government has accused officers of the Nigerian Police Force of assaulting their leaders and firing shots at unarmed students during a protest at the Oru-Ijebu Police Station in Ogun State.

The Ogun State Police Command had denied the allegations in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, late Saturday night, saying no student was detained following the reported confrontation at the Oru-Ijebu Police Division.

However, in a statement by the students’ union on Sunday, co-signed by the SUG President, Kehinde Bamigbose, and General Secretary, Olajire Emmanuel,  the incident began after reports emerged that some students had been arrested under “unclear and questionable” circumstances, prompting the SUG  Legal Director to visit the station to verify the situation.

“In a bid to ensure due process and protect the rights of our students, the OOUSUG Legal Director proceeded to the station to ascertain the situation and engage the officers in a lawful and civil manner.

“Shockingly, while carrying out his legitimate duty, our legal director was subjected to degrading treatment — he was physically assaulted, kicked, and violently manhandled, including being choked by officers of the Nigerian Police Force,” the statement partly read.

It added that another student present at the station was also assaulted, as they frowned at the unprofessional acts by the law enforcement agency.

“Even more disturbing, a student who accompanied him was slapped by officers during the encounter. These acts represent a gross violation of human dignity, professional ethics, and the rule of law,” the union said.

The statement further explained that the Students’ Union President, alongside other leaders, later arrived at the station in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

“Upon receiving this disturbing update, the OOUSUG President, accompanied by other student leaders, arrived at the station to peacefully intervene and de-escalate the situation,” it said.

Detailing the aftermath, the union alleged that the police responded with force, claiming that several students were injured and arrested during the incident.

“Rather than engage constructively, the police officers resorted to reckless violence. Without justification, they opened fire on unarmed students.

“In the course of this unwarranted aggression, a student was shot on the hand; several students were brutalised and assaulted; multiple students were unlawfully arrested; panic and chaos were deliberately instigated through continuous gunfire,” it stated.

The union also alleged that bystanders were affected.

“Innocent bystanders and students were subjected to fear, intimidation, and physical harm,” it added.

Describing the incident as an abuse of power, the union said it would not tolerate intimidation or violence against students.

“We find it utterly unacceptable that officers entrusted with maintaining law and order would instead become agents of terror against the very citizens they are meant to protect,” it said.

The union issued a list of demands, including an immediate investigation, prosecution of officers involved, medical treatment and compensation for injured students, and the unconditional release of those allegedly detained.

The development comes amid conflicting accounts from both the police and the students over the circumstances surrounding the clash at the Oru-Ijebu division.

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Nearly 60 per cent of employers in Nigeria say graduates are not job-ready, underscoring a widening gap between academic training and industry expectations, a new report has revealed.

This comes as experts urged Nigerian undergraduates to boost their employability by acquiring soft skills and leveraging opportunities both within and beyond the classroom before graduation.

The advice was given on Thursday in Ikeja, Lagos, during the presentation of Proten International’s latest report on the gap between education and industry needs.

The report added that more than 55 per cent of Nigerian graduates work in roles unrelated to their field of study, as it highlighted critical gaps in communication, technical and digital skills.

“Findings reveal significant misalignment between academic training and the competencies demanded by modern workplaces, with 55 per cent of respondents working in fields unrelated to their academic background and nearly 60 per cent of employers reporting that graduates are inadequately prepared for their roles.

“Critical gaps exist in teamwork, communication, technical proficiency, and digital literacy, while soft skills and practical experience remain highly desired but underdeveloped,” the report read.

Speaking at the industry roundtable themed “Bridging the Skill Gap Between Education and Industry Needs in Nigeria,” the Managing Director of Proten International, Deborah Yemi-Oladayo, described the problem as multidimensional.

“It’s not one way. If you redesign the curriculum, it means you are improving it. Then you need to retrain the people who are going to train the students,” she said.

She questioned the level of investment in lecturer development, adding, “How many of our lecturers get enough training? If we’re expecting our lecturers to do much more for our students, we need to give them that level of training so that they will be able to transfer in the classroom.”

Yemi-Oladayo stressed that expecting improved outcomes without equipping educators is unrealistic.

“It’s not enough to expect lecturers to do magic. They can only give what they have,” she said.

The MD also advised students not to wait for systemic reforms before taking responsibility for their own development.

“I advise undergraduates to harness opportunities that are around the world. We have online platforms that deliver training for free,” she said, urging them to focus on self-development beyond social media.

She added that students must be intentional about their growth. “They (the students) have a part to play. Nobody will do it for them,” she said.

Also speaking, the founder of Treford Africa, a non-engineering skill partner for professionals and businesses, Harry Enabolo, emphasised the importance of practical experience in preparing for employment.

“Experience prepares you for a job faster than almost anything you learn. The best learning still happens on the job,” he said.

Enabolo encouraged students to seek internships and engage with startups, noting that applying knowledge in real-life situations accelerates learning.

“One of the best ways of learning is to take all the knowledge you have gained and apply it to something,” he said, adding that early exposure to work environments helps students transition more easily into the labour market.

He further called for a more flexible education system that allows students to combine academic work with practical experience without affecting their performance.

The representatives from government, the private sector, and academia attended the roundtable.

At a time Nigeria is battling what global agencies describe as a full-blown education emergency, a staggering N97,881,553,326.94 earmarked for basic education is lying idle in government vaults across states, a Sunday PUNCH investigation has revealed.

The funds, meant to support primary and junior secondary education through the Universal Basic Education Commission framework, remain unaccessed largely due to the failure of state governments to provide counterpart funding, a prerequisite for drawing down the grants.

Documents exclusively obtained through a Freedom of Information request by a legal team led by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana show that at least 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory have failed to access their allocations as of March 2026.

This is despite Nigeria’s worsening education crisis, with the country now hosting the highest number of out-of-school children globally.

Crisis in numbers

Data from UNICEF, corroborated by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education and cited in multiple policy briefs between 2024 and 2026, puts the number of out-of-school children at approximately 18.5 million the highest in the world.

UNICEF notes that this figure represents nearly one in every five out-of-school children globally, with the majority concentrated in northern Nigeria, though the crisis increasingly affects southern states due to economic hardship and infrastructure deficits.

According to UNICEF’s 2025 Education Fact Sheet on Nigeria, key drivers of the crisis include poverty, insecurity, cultural barriers, weak education financing, and poor governance at the sub-national level.

The agency warned that unless urgent investments are made in foundational education, Nigeria risks “a generational catastrophe” with long-term consequences for economic growth, national security and social cohesion.

Yet, even as millions of children remain out of school, billions meant to address the crisis remain untouched.

How funds work

Under the UBEC intervention framework established by the UBE Act of 2004, the Federal Government provides annual matching grants to states to support basic education development.

However, states are required to provide 50 per cent counterpart funding before they can access the grants a mechanism designed to ensure ownership, accountability and sustainability.

Findings by The PUNCH show that this requirement has become a major bottleneck.

While some states have consistently met the condition, many others have failed to do so, leading to an accumulation of unaccessed funds year after year.

As of March 18, 2026, total unaccessed UBEC funds stood at ₦97.88bn.

Further analysis reveals that 2025 recorded the highest default in the history of the scheme, with ₦68.1bn left untouched in a single year.

Education policy analysts say this trend reflects a deeper governance problem.

Mapping the defaulters

The data analysis shows a concentration of defaults among a group of states with significant fiscal capacity, raising questions about priorities rather than resources.

Imo State tops the list with ₦10.6bn in unaccessed funds. Ogun follows with ₦9.7bn, while Rivers ranks third with ₦7.8bn.

Other major defaulters include Niger, Abia and Oyo states, each with over ₦7.1bn unaccessed.

The Federal Capital Territory also has ₦5.07bn in idle funds, while Ekiti, Bayelsa and Adamawa states each account for over ₦3.5bn.

In total, 21 states and the FCT failed to access their UBEC allocations a development expert describes as a “systemic failure of sub-national governance.”

‘Compliance is possible’

In contrast, 15 states have consistently accessed their UBEC funds in full.

These include Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe in the North, as well as Benue, Delta, Enugu, Kogi, Ondo and Osun states.

Their compliance, experts say, demonstrates that the counterpart funding requirement is not inherently unworkable.

Rather, it highlights disparities in political will, fiscal discipline and prioritisation.

Falana reacts

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana criticised federal and state authorities for failing to guarantee free basic education to millions of Nigerian children, despite existing laws and court rulings.

In a statement, Falana said the Child’s Rights Act (2003) and the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act (2004) clearly provide for free and mandatory education for children at primary and junior secondary levels across the country.

He, however, lamented that many state governments and the Federal Capital Territory had failed to access over ₦97bn available under the Universal Basic Education Commission fund as of March 2026.

“As of March 2026, the authorities of many state governments and the Federal Capital Territory have refused to access over N97bn from the Universal Basic Education Commission Fund. Apart from not accessing the UBE matching grant, some state governments have failed to properly utilise the funds for the purpose of development of infrastructure and improvement of the teaching and learning conditions in primary and junior secondary schools across the country,” Falana said.

“In spite of several judgments of the Ecowas Court and the Federal High Court, which have upheld the right of every Nigerian child to mandatory and free universal basic education, Nigeria has about 20 million out-of-school children. The members of the ruling class have consigned the children of poor citizens to illiteracy and ignorance.”

He explained that while the Federal Government provides funding through UBEC, states are required to contribute counterpart funding to access the grants, a condition many have not met.

Falana further alleged that even when funds are accessed, some states fail to deploy them effectively toward improving infrastructure and learning conditions in public schools.

“Some state governments have failed to properly utilise the funds for the development of infrastructure and improvement of teaching and learning conditions,” he stated.

The senior advocate also decried the rising number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, which he put at about 20 million, despite multiple court rulings affirming every child’s right to education.

“The members of the ruling class have consigned the children of poor citizens to illiteracy and ignorance,” he said.

Falana added that his team had formally requested information from the Universal Basic Education Commission on states’ compliance with the law, noting that the response had been received and reviewed.

He called for urgent action to ensure that all Nigerian children have access to free and compulsory basic education as guaranteed by law.

Governance failure

Education stakeholders who spoke with The PUNCH delivered scathing assessments of the situation, describing it as both a policy and moral failure.

A public analyst, Comrade Mashood Osho, said the refusal of state governments to provide counterpart funding reflects a troubling disregard for education.

“It is inexcusable that funds specifically allocated for basic education are left unused while millions of children are out of school,” he said.

“This is not about a lack of money. Many of these states spend billions on recurrent expenditure and political projects. The issue here is priority.”

Osho called for immediate sanctions against defaulting states.

“The Federal Government should begin to name and shame these states. There must be consequences. You cannot continue to deny children access to education without accountability,” he said.

He also urged civil society organisations to intensify advocacy.

“Citizens must begin to demand explanations from their governors. Education is not a privilege; it is a right.”

Global Director Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative, Abideen Olasupo, said the implications of the crisis extend beyond education.

“You cannot separate education from security and economic development,” he said.

“When children are out of school, they become vulnerable to exploitation, radicalisation and crime. What we are seeing is a direct pipeline to insecurity.

“Every naira not accessed represents a missed opportunity. This is not just about money; it is about the future of millions of children,” he said.

He added that the failure to access UBEC funds undermines national development efforts.

“These funds are designed to address foundational gaps in classrooms, teachers, and learning materials. When states fail to access them, they are effectively sabotaging their own future workforce.”

A senior education specialist with the World Bank, Aisha Garba, expressed concern over the impact on development partnerships.

“Development partners continue to invest heavily in Nigeria’s education sector, but the lack of state-level commitment is a major constraint,” she said.

“Accessing UBEC funds should be the baseline. If states cannot meet that minimum requirement, it raises serious questions about governance capacity.”

Garba warned that continued inaction could affect future funding opportunities.

“International partners look at commitment and performance. If states are unable or unwilling to utilise available resources, it weakens the case for further investment.”

Also speaking, a professor of education policy, Prof. Ibrahim Adewale, warned of long-term social consequences.

“When children are denied access to education, the effects are generational,” she said.

“You are not just creating illiteracy; you are entrenching poverty, inequality and social instability.”

He described the situation as a “ticking time bomb.”

“In many communities, out-of-school children are already being drawn into child labour and criminal activities. If this trend continues, the consequences will be severe.

Human cost

Beyond the statistics lies a deeper human tragedy.

Across Nigeria, millions of children remain out of school due to a combination of poverty, insecurity and poor infrastructure.

In many rural communities, schools lack basic facilities, while in urban areas, overcrowding and poor learning conditions discourage attendance.

Parents, faced with economic hardship, often prioritise survival over education.

For these families, the billions of naira sitting idle represent a painful contradiction of resources that exist but are not reaching those who need them most.

Education advocates warn that the longer the crisis persists, the harder it will be to reverse.

What ₦98bn would achieve

Experts estimate that the ₦97.88bn in unaccessed funds could have significantly transformed Nigeria’s basic education landscape.

With the funds, states could have built and rehabilitated thousands of classrooms, recruited and trained teachers, provided textbooks and learning materials, expanded access to education in underserved areas, and implemented targeted programmes for out-of-school children

Reform or enforcement?

The revelations have reignited debate over the structure of the UBEC funding model.

Some stakeholders argue that the counterpart funding requirement should be reviewed to accommodate states with limited fiscal capacity.

Others insist that removing the condition could weaken accountability and lead to misuse of funds.

For now, experts agree that enforcement remains weak.

“There must be stricter compliance mechanisms,” Osho said.

“States that fail to access funds should face penalties, including restrictions on other federal allocations.”

Nation at crossroads

As Nigeria continues to grapple with its education crisis, the contradiction remains stark: billions of naira meant to educate children are lying unused, while millions remain out of school.

For a country seeking to harness its demographic potential, the cost of inaction is enormous.

UNICEF warns that without urgent intervention, Nigeria risks producing a generation ill-equipped to participate in the modern economy.

For now, the figures tell a troubling story, one of missed opportunities, weak governance and a system struggling to deliver on its most basic responsibility.

And until political will aligns with available resources, millions of Nigerian children will remain locked out of the classroom and the future it represents.