When Supervision Fails: Excel College Students Caught Smoking, Drinking in Lagos Hostel
The Lagos State Police Command opened a formal investigation into a viral video that showed students of Excel College, Ejigbo, smoking and drinking alcohol inside the boys’ hostel.
Though the footage was recorded months earlier, its reemergence online has ignited public outrage and renewed debate about student discipline, school supervision, and the responsibilities of parents and educators in safeguarding children.
This incident raises deeper questions about how schools, families, and society at large may be neglecting the early warning signs of misconduct among students, and what structures must be put in place to prevent similar lapses.
Signs That Should Have Sparked Alarm
During questioning, the school principal, who also serves as proprietor, admitted that the students involved had already graduated. While this may technically remove current students from scrutiny, it highlights a troubling reality: the misconduct happened under school supervision.
The question remains, if this behaviour could unfold in a school hostel, what other issues are going unnoticed until they surface publicly?
Weak Links in Monitoring Students
The Excel College episode points to wider systemic weaknesses:
- Hostel freedom without guidance. The boarding facilities lack sufficient monitoring, leaving students unchecked.
- Rules that exist on paper. Codes of conduct are often unenforced, creating loopholes for students to exploit.
- Limited parental guidance. Parents sometimes delegate moral upbringing entirely to schools.
Shaping Conduct Before Problems Emerge
The school is a place to teach proper conduct, which prevents students from engaging in vices. For them to effectively do this, they need an approach, just like the one below.
A stronger approach requires:
- Closer supervision in hostels and common spaces.
- Active school–parent partnerships on student welfare.
- Counseling programs to address problems early.
- Accountability for educators who neglect their duty of care.
Lessons Schools Must Learn
The scandal at Excel College shows that misconduct festers when oversight is reactive instead of preventative.
For schools, the lesson is that discipline must be woven into the fabric of daily learning, not treated as an afterthought. There should be constant supervision of boarding houses by trained teachers.
A Call to Action
The Excel College incident is a reminder that every neglected rule, every unsupervised night in a hostel, and every parental blind spot leaves room for misconduct to grow.
If education is to shape character as much as intellect, then schools and families must act together. Protecting the next generation demands vigilance, consistency, and above all, responsibility from every adult involved in a child’s life.
