Fresh crisis hits King’s College as workers accuse police, Old Boys of assault

Fresh tension has erupted at King’s College, Lagos, as the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, accused the police and members of the King’s College Old Boys Association, KCOBA, of invading the school premises and assaulting 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 assaults on civil servants and the arrest of a child of a protesting parent.

 

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

 

In a statement, ASCSN National President and General Secretary, Shehu Mohammed and Joshua Apebo, respectively, condemned what they described as a violent invasion of the school.

 

The union alleged that armed policemen stormed the premises at about 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, and used a generating set to force open the padlocked gates.

 

It further alleged that gunshots were fired into the air, while some civil servants were physically assaulted and several workers sustained injuries. The union also claimed that a child of a protesting parent was arrested.

 

According to ASCSN, the operation was carried out to grant KCOBA access to the school for a press engagement, escalating the dispute over the proposed concession.

 

The union said the incident was particularly troubling because it occurred less than 24 hours after a meeting between the Minister of Education, TUC and ASCSN over the matter.

 

“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 using the police to intimidate civil servants who, it said, were exercising their right to oppose 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 used to interfere in the dispute.

 

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

 

ASCSN commended its members and parents who participated in the protest, reaffirming its commitment to defending public education and workers’ rights.

 

The union warned that continued reliance on force rather than dialogue could lead to further lawful action by its members.

 

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