The leadership and members of the Anglican Grammar School Igarra Old Boys Association (AGSIOBA) have appealed to the Edo State Government to urgently reclaim portions of the school’s land allegedly encroached upon by land grabbers and protect the property with a perimeter fence.
The appeal was made by the President of the Benin Branch of AGSIOBA, Engr. Titus Okuo, at the association’s pre-70th anniversary dinner held in Benin City.
Okuo also expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of infrastructure at the school, saying the association had formally written to the government on December 3, 2025, about the situation but had yet to receive a response.
He said Anglican Grammar School, Igarra, had produced several prominent Nigerians and stressed that its historical legacy should be preserved.
According to him, “In the early 1970s, the State Government took over all the missionary schools including our Alma Mater. Sadly the government allowed the school to deteriorate and it is now a shell of its old self.
“No adequate teaching staff, the boarding facilities were scrapped, land grabbers have encroached and developed on the school land and they continue to encroach as if there are no owners
of the property.“We appeal to the Governor, His Excellency Senator Monday Okpebholo (Akpakomiza) to urgently reclaim the land and construct a perimeter fence around the school to stem the tide of encroachment.
“We will be calling on you all to come and celebrate with us for the 70th anniversary and to join hands with us the old boys to rescue Anglican Grammar School Igarra from going into extinction.”
Also speaking, an elder of the association, Prince M. M. Ogedengbe, corroborated Okuo’s concerns, describing the institution as the second oldest Anglican secondary school in the former Midwestern Region, comprising present-day Edo and Delta states.
Ogedengbe stressed the need for concerted efforts to protect the school’s heritage and prevent further deterioration of its facilities and property.
The Secretary of the association, Martins Agomini, also urged the government to ensure proper implementation and adequate funding of the current Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme.
Agomini said effective implementation of the programme was necessary, particularly as it emphasised the importance of accurate documentation of the ages of school children.
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