Nigeria's security agency detains 10 pupils for participating in prohibited 'signed out' festivities in Adamawa state

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The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested 10 secondary school graduates in Adamawa State over their alleged involvement in the banned final-year celebration popularly known as “Signed Out.”

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

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Baba said operatives of the NSCDC Safe School Response Squad acted on credible intelligence linking students from Capital School, GDSS Demsawo, Doubelli and Damilu to activities that allegedly constituted public nuisance and threatened public order.

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He said the suspects were allegedly involved in painting their bodies, tearing school uniforms, fighting on the streets and engaging in other acts capable of causing unrest.

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The command noted that the celebration has become a source of concern for parents, school authorities and the public, leading the Adamawa State Ministry of Education to ban the practice last year.

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He stated, “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.”

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It added that this year’s celebration reportedly took a more disturbing dimension, with allegations that some participants disguised themselves in suspicious outfits and robbed members of the public of mobile phones and other valuables.

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According to the NSCDC boss, preliminary findings also revealed that one of the suspects arrested while wearing a school uniform was not a student, while some of those apprehended were SS1 and SS2 students rather than graduating students.

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He added, “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.”

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The State Commandant, CC Nasiru Saleh, has directed a comprehensive investigation to identify all those involved and establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

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He reiterated the command’s commitment to preventing activities capable of disrupting academic programmes, threatening public safety or endangering students and residents.

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Saleh also directed the Safe School Response Squad to strengthen collaboration with school authorities and other stakeholders to improve preventive measures and ensure a safe learning environment.

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He said the Corps is working with the affected schools to verify the identities of all students and other individuals linked to the incident.

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The Adamawa State Ministry of Education banned the “Signed Out” celebration in 2025 following growing concerns over violence, public disorder and other misconduct associated with the end-of-school festivities.

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Authorities have since warned schools and students against participating in the practice, citing threats to public safety and the security of students.

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