Amnesty International (AI) has stated that it will work with the Federal Government to combat school-related violence.
According to AI, there has recently been a spontaneous increase in incidences of violence against children in schools. It made contact with parents of children who had died, been severely hurt, or been placed in a terrible situation as a result of bullying by teachers and classmates.
On Thursday in Abuja, AI announced this at a one-day stakeholders conference on reducing violence against children in schools.
Speaking on the desire of AI to end violence against children in schools, the acting Country Director of AI, Isa Salihu, noted that the organisation will collate solutions and suggestions proffered by stakeholders on violence against children and write these suggestions into a policy document.
Salihu stated, “All the ideas that will be tabled before us at the end of the meeting will be used to write policy suggestions to the Nigerian government and to meet and engage the in-coming minister of education to make sure that there is a strong policy that will protect children from violence in schools.
“We observe that in recent years, there has been a spontaneous rise in cases of violence against children in schools. We have been in contact with parents of children who have either died or severely injured or were put in a very difficult situation because of bullying by teachers, and peers.
After assessing the problems, we look at why we are having these incidents.
While recalling that there were three big cases of children who died in very controversial circumstances in their schools, he pointed out that the conclusion is that the schools were either negligent or they still use corporal punishment, which is outdated and no longer relevant, therefore also exposing children to violence.
Lamenting how Nigeria’s justice system has been broken, he urged those in authority to take it as a duty to ensure that the justice system is improved.
He remarked, “The reason why we are not aware of the scale of the violence in schools is because many parents believe that even when they speak out or seek justice, they will not get it. That is why they don’t have confidence in the justice and criminal justice systems of this country because there is a lack of capacity of the police to conduct thorough investigations, a lack of cooperation between the police and the courts, and corruption.
“We want to also engage people in the judiciary to ensure that they give priority to the issues of children.”
Narrating her experience in an emotion-laden voice, the mother of Keren Akpagher, a 14-year-old victim of Premier Academy, who was raped by Vivienne Akpagher, revealed how her daughter was discovered to have been raped and molested, which led to her death.
Mrs Akpagher also revealed that the autopsy result indicated that her daughter was also sodomised.
She said, “During her medication, I discovered that she was raped. I was with her when she passed. She was discovered to have been molested, raped, and sodomised in the autopsy carried out by the doctors.
“I am a victim because I have not gotten that justice that I need to survive. After all, before I survive I must get the justice that will lead to my healing. I haven’t started. I am still fighting to understand what happened to me.
“When I was growing up my mom told me that education was everything but I look at her in the face and say it is the least of what I think. I used to think having an education but it’s overrated because where we get that education is no longer safe for vulnerable children.”
She advised parents to always talk to their children and look out for signs, saying that she was too trusting because parents trusted the schools so much, but the result was not palatable.