Lagos Govt shuts school over flogging of 24month-old nursery pupil

Few days after an incident in Delta State where a 19 month-old pupil was allegedly flogged to death by his teacher, the Lagos Government has moved to close down a nursery school located in the Maza Maza area of the state over a similar physical abuse of a 24 month-old child.

Lagos Government, Friday, sealed off the Unic Vilos Montessori School, Maza Maza, over the flogging of 24 month-old girl, Cherish Ohamadike, by her teacher, Miss Joy Igile, which left marks on the baby’s body.

State Commissioner for Education, Folashade Adefisayo, said the case is within the context of informal education because the victim is a toddler.

According to her, since the school is located within an elementary school, the ministry ordered the closure after confirming the story.

She also said that Unic Vilos Montessori School operates without approval, adding that the Lagos State Government is working to clamp down on such centres of learning.

The victim’s mother, Faustina Ohamadike, alleged threat on her by the school authorities if she exposed the incident.

Cherish’s family lives in the same premises as the proprietress and the teacher who allegedly gave 24 strokes of the cane on her. The school where the incident happened is just opposite their house.

The victim’s parents confirmed that a combined team of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, the Domestic Violence and Response Unit, and the Ministry of Youths and Social Development, arrested the teacher and proprietress last Monday.

While the proprietress was released earlier in the week, the teacher is still in detention.

Delta State was rocked by shocking incident which occurred at the Arise And Shine Nursery and Primary School, Asaba, Monday, February 7, where a teacher reportedly gave a child 31 strokes of the cane for allegedly playing with water and getting wet.

The child, Obinna Udeze, fell into a coma during the flogging and was rushed to a hospital, where he died days later.

The male teacher in question, Emeka Nwogbo who owned up to the action said it was a ‘routine punishment’ at the school, however, denied the child died as a result of the flogging, as, according to him, it was a mild punishment he administered.

Meanwhile, the Delta State Government has since closed down the school, adding that it was illegally operated and without license.

The school owner, Mrs Ogbo, and her son, Emeka Nwogbo, who is also a teacher have all been arrested.

Emeka Nwogbo claimed the child did not die while he was being punished.

“I did not cane the child to death. I flogged him as I’m supposed to flog a child. I flogged him as little as I can, I did not kill the child. I am not responsible for his death.

“They should go and check this thing very well. I flogged the child because he pushed another child and hit the other child’s head,” he said.

Addressing journalists, the Delta State police commissioner, Ari Muhammed Ali said a post mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death of the deceased child.

”Post mortem examination will be carried out, to ascertain at least the cause of death.”

The toddler had fallen into a coma after he was beaten while the beating left several marks on his body.

The boy died five days later at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, the state capital. The state government has since shut the school.