The teacher, Emeka Nwogbo, who is the son of the school proprietress, had reportedly flogged the toddler, Obinna Udeze
By Eugene Onyeji
The dust is yet to settle over a 19-month-old child, Obinna Udeze, who was allegedly beaten to death by one Emeka Nwogbo, a teacher at Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School, Asaba, Delta state.
The toddler had fallen into a coma after he was beaten while the beating left several marks on his body from the 31 strokes of the cane he received.
Reports revealed the boy was admitted at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Asaba, the state capital, where he was receiving treatment, but sadly died five days later on Saturday, February 12.
In a video shared by the mother of the victim when the boy was seen receiving treatment on a hospital bed, she said: “My son has not been himself since the incident, this is him on the hospital bed receiving drip after the incident in the school and up until now, the school has not called to know how he is faring or how it’s going.”
The mother of the victim had said that the act was perpetrated by the school owner and her son, who tied the hands and legs of the baby before flogging him into a coma.
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Advocates for Children and Vulnerable People Network alleged that Obinna’s hands and legs were tied before the flogging started.
Chief Operating Officer of the network, Ebenezer Omejalile, said the suspect and the proprietor were initially arrested but released due to agreement with the victim’s family.
Omejalile said the suspects were re-arrested on Saturday after the baby died.
These cases seem to be on the increase in recent times.
Last week, the Lagos State Government sealed a private school, Unic Vilos Montessori School, Maza Maza, over the flogging of 24 strokes of the cane on a 2-year-old child, Cherish Ohamadike, by her teacher, Miss Joy Igile, who inflicted marks on her back.
This is coming at a time the state government is battling with public uproar and criticism that trailed the death of the Dowen College student, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, who was alleged to have died as a result of the bullying and beating he got from fellow students.
Two weeks ago, the Police in Kano also arrested two suspects, Abdulmalik Mohammed and Hashim Isyaku for allegedly abducting and killing a five-year-old girl, Hanifa Abubakar.
The Delta State Government has shut down the school following the death of the boy
The Delta State Commissioner for Basic Education Chika Ossai on Sunday said the school was not approved by the state government.
He explained that the government’s decision to seal up the school is because the proprietor does not have an operating licence.
The spokesman of Delta State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, said that they have commenced investigations into the boy’s death.
