- Lagos area boys punish students in viral roadside video
- Secondary school students kneel as cane is raised
- Mixed reactions online over discipline and authority
- Critics call act assault, not correction
A viral video showing Lagos area boys punishing secondary school students for allegedly going to school late has sparked intense reactions across social media, reopening debates around discipline, authority, and public safety in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
In the circulating clip, the students are seen kneeling by the roadside with their hands raised, while one of the men, believed to be an area boy, holds a cane and scolds them for their lateness.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
A voice in the background can be heard saying,
“Look at the time you’re going to school.”
The footage quickly gained traction online, dividing Nigerians into opposing camps.
Some social media users praised the act, describing it as a return to lost communal values where society played an active role in correcting children.
Maiyegun Quam wrote,
“It was this value that we lost. Society also has a role in shaping children. From the moment we became unconcerned about other people’s children, everything went wrong. Well done.”
Others echoed similar views. Desmond Arnold commented sarcastically,
“At least area boys don do one good thing. Make them go late again tomorrow.”
Another user, @Akinjoshua2017, shifted the blame to schools, stating,
“Schools don’t punish late coming again. That’s why you still see kids going to school by 9 am.”
However, many Nigerians strongly condemned the incident, arguing that the punishment crossed legal and moral boundaries.
@Samnacks_201 criticised the action, saying,
“Discipline without authority is just assault. If they aren’t staff or guardians, they have no right to touch those children.”
@lagosconvo also raised concerns, noting,
“It’s not their job. It’s not their place to mete out punishment.”
Another commenter, Maverick Bambaz Oloto, questioned the logic behind the act, pointing out that stopping the students only made them even later for school.
As the debate continues, the incident has once again highlighted growing concerns over street justice, child protection, and the limits of public authority in Lagos.