The Benue State Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board (BEQAEB) has sealed two private schools in Makurdi over alleged victimisation of pupils and violations of the state government’s textbook reuse policy.
The affected schools, Orenda and Opal Schools, were shut following complaints from parents who accused the institutions of allegedly denying their children access to learning activities because they did not purchase exercise books and test books directly from the schools.
The Executive Secretary of BEQAEB, Dr Terna Francis, led officials of the board’s Directorate of Enforcement and Compliance to seal the schools on Thursday, October 8, 2026, after a court order authorising the action was served on the proprietor.
Francis said the board had received several complaints from parents whose children were allegedly punished for failing to buy the required books from the schools, despite having paid their school fees.
According to him, the schools allegedly insisted that parents must purchase the books from them, contrary to the state’s policy allowing families to reuse textbooks and obtain prescribed learning materials from other sources.
He explained that the board initially contacted the proprietor by telephone and directed her to stop the alleged practice. However, the complaints reportedly continued, prompting the board to issue an official letter and invite the proprietor, school management and the Parent-Teacher Association chairman to a meeting.
Francis said representatives of the schools attended an initial meeting without the proprietor, while a subsequent meeting was reportedly missed without an explanation.
The executive secretary added that further complaints indicated that pupils were allegedly subjected to additional forms of victimisation, including teachers refusing to mark their homework and restrictions on bringing their books into classrooms.
He said the alleged treatment had left some pupils withdrawn and demoralised, describing the practice as a violation of child protection laws in Benue State and Nigeria.
Francis stressed that the textbook reuse policy was introduced to reduce financial pressure on parents and give them greater flexibility in providing learning materials for their children.
Under the policy, parents are permitted to pass textbooks from older children to younger siblings and purchase prescribed books from any suitable bookstore rather than being compelled to buy them directly from schools.
He said schools that sell textbooks must make the prescribed book lists available to parents, who should be free to decide where to obtain the materials.
The BEQAEB chief explained that the board, working with the state Attorney-General’s office, approached a court after the alleged violations persisted despite earlier efforts to resolve the matter.
He said the schools would remain sealed indefinitely until their owners and administrators met the conditions set by the board and demonstrated their willingness to operate responsibly and respect the rights of pupils and parents.
On compliance across other private schools in the state, Francis said the board had not received similar petitions against other institutions but warned school proprietors and administrators against violating government policies.
He urged parents experiencing similar challenges to submit formal complaints accompanied by evidence to the board for investigation and appropriate action.
Francis described the closure of Orenda and Opal Schools as a deterrent to other school owners, warning that the government would take firm action against any institution found violating its policies or infringing on learners’ rights.
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