The Ondo State Government has sanctioned a group of students involved in a viral “sign-out” video, ordering the withholding of their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results and placing their names in a newly established school misconduct register, popularly referred to as the “black book.”
The disciplinary action was announced by the Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology following an emergency meeting held at the ministry’s headquarters in Akure to address the incident, which sparked widespread reactions on social media.
According to a statement issued by the ministry, the affected students are from Oyemekun Grammar School, Aquinas Secondary School and CAC Grammar School. The viral video, recorded after the completion of the 2026 WASSCE, allegedly showed graduating students engaging in unruly behaviour, including tearing their school uniforms and chanting inappropriate slogans. 
As part of the sanctions, the ministry said the official school testimonials and WASSCE results of the 17 identified students would be withheld indefinitely, while their names would be entered into the misconduct register of their respective schools.
The government also directed all school principals in the state to establish a “black book” for documenting cases of student misconduct. In addition, senior officers at the affected schools have been issued official queries for what the ministry described as inadequate supervision that allowed the celebrations to degenerate into disorder.
The ministry further ordered the immediate expulsion of any student featured in the video who is not in a terminal class.
Speaking after the disciplinary hearing, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said the government supports the celebration of academic milestones but would not tolerate actions capable of tarnishing the image of the state’s education sector.
“The growing sign-out culture among secondary school students must be guided by decency. We will not fold our arms and watch the discipline we have painstakingly instilled in our schools be eroded for the sake of social media clout,” he said.
Ajibefun added that the government remained committed to protecting the integrity of the educational system and would not allow acts of indiscipline to disrupt learning in schools.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Akindele Ige, urged school principals to promptly report signs of unrest to the Zonal Education Office and the ministry to prevent situations from escalating.
The ministry also disclosed that the affected students and their parents had been summoned to receive official letters detailing the sanctions imposed on them.
Officials said the measures were intended to serve as a deterrent to other students and reinforce discipline across secondary schools in Ondo State.
