Ten Students Arrested for Banned Celebration in Adamawa

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested 10 secondary school graduates in Adamawa State. They were detained for their alleged role in a banned final-year celebration called "Signed Out."

The arrest was announced in a statement on Friday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSC Nyako Amidu Baba.

Baba stated that the NSCDC Safe School Response Squad acted on reliable intelligence. This intelligence linked students from Capital School, GDSS Demsawo, Doubelli and Damilu to activities that made noise and disturbed public peace.

He said the suspects were allegedly seen painting their bodies, tearing school uniforms, fighting in the streets, and doing other things that could cause trouble.

The command mentioned that this celebration has raised concerns for parents, schools, and the public. This led the Adamawa State Ministry of Education to ban the practice last year.

He noted, "The trend, which has increasingly become a source of concern to parents, school authorities and the general public, had earlier attracted the attention of the Adamawa State Government, which, through the State Ministry of Education, issued a directive against the practice last year."

This year’s celebration reportedly became more alarming. There were claims that some participants wore strange outfits and robbed people of their phones and other valuables.

According to the NSCDC boss, early findings showed that one suspect arrested in a school uniform was not a student. Some of those caught were in SS1 and SS2, not final-year students as assumed.

He said, "In the course of the operation, one of the persons arrested was found wearing a school uniform but was reportedly not a student. The command also discovered that some of those arrested were not final-year students, as initially presumed, but were still in SS1 and SS2."

The State Commandant, CC Nasiru Saleh, has ordered a full investigation to find out who was involved and what really happened.

He promised that the command will work to stop any activities that could disrupt school programs, threaten public safety, or put students and residents at risk.

Saleh also instructed the Safe School Response Squad to work closely with school authorities and other relevant parties. This will help improve safety measures and create a secure learning environment.

He mentioned that the Corps is collaborating with the affected schools to confirm the identities of all students and others involved in the incident.

The Adamawa State Ministry of Education banned the “Signed Out” celebration in 2025 due to rising violence, public disorder, and other misconduct linked to the end-of-school parties.

Authorities have since cautioned schools and students against taking part in this practice, pointing out threats to public safety and student security.