The kind of brute instinct in Stella Nwadigbo, a teacher in an Ikorodu Lagos primary school, is unthinkable. At 45, she is ordinarily expected to be a mother, but it is not clear if the woman is married or had ever experienced the hellish pain associated with childbirth because reports did not prefix ‘Mrs’ to her name.
However, whether or not Nwadigbo, a teacher at Christ-Miltos International School, Isawo, Ikorodu, Lagos, is married, it is totally incredulous that a woman could manhandle any child the way she did a three-year-old pupil, Abayomi Michael, under her care.
Yet, a viral video showed her, like an inebriated foe, deal the hapless three-year-old pupil several vicious slaps on the right ear, just for being unable to properly write the figure six. These were slaps vicious enough to damage the boy’s eardrum and lead to eventual deafness. It was the sort of vile beating that will rev up revulsive horror in any mother’s maternal reflexes.
And to think that the boy is the only son of a poor widow, Adenike Okunlaya, who is also teacher in the same school and engages in menial jobs to augment her salary. The boy’s father reportedly died barely six months after his birth. Last Monday, the day of the contemptible incident, was said to be the pupil’s first day in school after the Christmas holiday.
Okunlaya, who teaches in the Nursery Two class, was said to have discovered the disturbing video where the offending teacher, Nwadigbo, was instructing her son to write the figure six, furiously slapping the boy in the process. After viewing the footage, she immediately forwarded it to a friend, from where the video went viral.
Okunlaya told an online medium that her son used to complain about Nwadigbo’s harsh treatment in the past, but she initially did not take the boy’s complaints seriously, dismissing the whole thing as typical disciplinary actions. However, the scenario changed when she saw the distressing video. But in spite of her immediate horrific impulse, she chose not to confront the teacher directly but sought intervention through her pastor, who lodged an official complaint with the school’s management.
The school felt alarmed seeing the video and consequently placed the cruel teacher on suspension. The pupil was then taken to Ikorodu General Hospital, where doctors reportedly found ear damage. Medical reports concerning the boy’s assault were submitted by the mother at the Owutu Police Station to reinforce her case. The woman demands justice for her only son.
Expectedly, the video has been generating public obloquy and angst, with most commentators, like the distressed mother, calling for justice for the assaulted pupil. And justice is, indeed, already being served over the heinous act. We thus commend the promptness of the responses to the public outrage from the woman’s school’s management, the police and the relevant agencies of the Lagos State government, notably the Ministry of Education and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency(LSDSVA).
Contrary to the tardiness and carefree approach that had often greeted many cases of assault of citizens in the past, Nwadigbo in this case was promptly arrested on Wednesday, January 9, 2025 by the Family Support Unit of the Ikorodu Police Division, in response to the torrent of vitriolic outbursts on the social media over the video. She was transferred to the Gender Unit of the state police command the same day for preliminary investigations.
The Chief Operating Officer at the Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, Ebenezer Omejalile, in his reaction to the assault, described the boy’s experience as the highest form of child cruelty by a supposed childminder by an animal in human skin, adding that this sort of cruelty attracts so many consequences.
“The perpetrator has not only physically assaulted the child but has dehumanised him in totality, going by several slaps on the right ear that may damage the child’s eardrum, which can lead to deafness unwarranted,” he posited. He called for appropriate interventions, including a thorough medical examination, psychological treatment and efforts to rebuild the child’s self-esteem.
He said: “The perpetrator should face the wrath of the law so that she will serve as a deterrent to others. Lastly, I expect the Lagos State Ministry of Education, through the Quality Assurance Department, to move in as swiftly as possible. And a one-on-one interaction should be carried out on the pupils(of Christ-Miltos International School) to know how many pupils the monster has subjected to this cruelty.”
The Executive Secretary of the LSDSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said an investigation into the incident had already begun, following the public outbursts over the incident. In a statement released on Wednesday via the agency’s verified X.com handle, it encouraged anyone with additional information to contact it through its toll-free hotline or send a direct message on its social media platforms.
The agency said: “Indeed, institutions of learning should be safe, warm, and protective environments for all children in their care. The state government remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of every child by enforcing strict regulations, holding offenders accountable, and working with stakeholders to promote a zero-tolerance policy for abuse in any form.”
The management of Nwadigbo’s school, which, as noted earlier, has already suspended the teacher, described her action as a “troubling incident,” which is contrary to the school’s values and principles. The school said they were aware of “a deeply troubling incident involving one of our teachers and a student, which has been circulating on social media.”
“The video,” the school’s official statement added, “shows a teacher engaging in the physical discipline of a student in a manner that is completely unacceptable and contrary to the values and principles of our school. As an institution deeply committed to fostering a culture of respect, care, and dignity, we are horrified by this incident and wish to make it unequivocally clear that such actions will not be tolerated.
“In response, the teacher involved has been suspended indefinitely, while a thorough investigation is being conducted. This immediate and decisive action reflects our zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct and our obligation to safeguard the safety and well-being of every child under our care.
“We extend our sincerest apologies to the student and their family. We have reached out to them personally to express our regret and our support, and ensure that their needs are fully addressed during this time.”
The management pledged its commitment to ensuring that “such behaviour is never repeated.” The statement added: “As such, we will be organising mandatory training sessions for teachers to reinforce child protection protocols, emphasise positive disciplinary practices and cultivate greater sensitivity in interactions with students.
“Additionally, we have introduced a confidential whistle-blowing system to encourage the prompt reporting of inappropriate behaviour. We ask for the public’s patience and understanding as we work to address this matter responsibly and comprehensively.”
The same day Thursday that Nwadigbo was suspended, she was arraigned before Magistrate M.O. Kusanu of the Magistrate’s Court 1, Ogba, Lagos, for indicent treatment and assault of a child. The unfazed teacher pleaded not guilty and she has been remanded in Kirikiri Correctional facility till February 18 when the case comes up for continuation of hearing.
The steps taken so far at various levels of authority to ensure justice for the assaulted pupil are highly commendable. We urge that the process, including the judicial option, be carried to a conclusive end to serve as an appropriate deterrence.
Secondly, not only should the hammer of the law fall appropriately, let the victim be considered for some form of compensation(s) that will recoup his self-esteem and assuage his trauma, especially considering his age. Thirdly, let this serve as a lesson to all schools that are still applying unreasonable corporal punishment in the state and beyond to rein in their unnecessarily querulous, wicked personnel.
Appropriate bulwarks of watertight regulations should be built against excesses such as inflicting incalculable damage to the psyche of pupils through excessively harsh punishments and, in extreme indulgence, beating them to death, in the name of enforcing discipline, among others, that had been recorded in some schools. Such brute instincts belong in the Stone Age and not in a decent learning ambience of the 21st Century mould.
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