Distraught mother of the junior student of Deeper Life High School, Idoro near Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Deborah Okezie had in a Facebook video which went viral on social media platforms alleged that her son was starved and also molested by some senior pupils of the school.
According to her, she went to the school sometimes last month and saw that her son, once a boisterous and healthy-looking chap has completely emaciated.
She stated that after prodding him, he alleged that the principal of the school moved him to the senior pupils’ hostel for bedwetting, disclosing that the senior students seized that opportunity to abuse him by pushing their hands and legs into his anus even as they vowed to kill him if he ever reports the incident to the principal or his mother.
Continuing, she said when she reported her findings to the principal, he pledged to move the 11-year-old boy back to the junior hostel but did not do so.
Apparently disturbed by the Facebook post, the state government immediately swung into action by setting up an investigation team to unravel the alleged abuse.
Governor, Udom Emmanuel, who ordered the state Commissioner for Education, Dr Enobong Mboho, to probe the alleged abuse, pledged that no stone would be left unturned in getting to the root of the alleged dastard act.
Also piqued by the ugly development, the management of the school suspended the principal of the school, Solomon Ndidi, to allow an undeterred probe into the matter, assuring that no one found culpable would be spared.
The statement said, “We want to assure the general public that investigations into the case have commenced and no culprits, whether staff or students, will be spared if found culpable at the end of the exercise. As an interim measure and to underscore the seriousness we attach to higher superintending values, the school principal has been suspended summarily even as further investigations continue.
“We firmly assure the discerning public that the overall outcome of the
investigations will be made known and appropriate disciplinary actions
will be meted to all culprits in this unfortunate act that admittedly
threatens to cast unnecessary aspersions on a unique institution that
has been a shining example to all over the years.”