Death of 19-month-old pupil: My son was flogged like a goat — Mother weeps – Newstrends
Connect with us

metro

Death of 19-month-old pupil: My son was flogged like a goat — Mother weeps

Published

3 years ago

on

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ari Muhammed Ali

…Says school proprietress, son, one other flogged him

…Govt interested in the matter—Aniagwu

…Full-blown investigation has been ordered—CP

MOTHER of the 19-month-old pupil of Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School, Asaba, Delta State, who was reportedly flogged to death, Gift Ohanezeze, yesterday, alleged that his son, Obinna, was flogged to death like a goat by his teacher, Emeka.

Gift, who is a single mother, alleged that her late son was flogged 31 strokes by Emeka, son of the proprietress of the school, situated at Camp 74, Asaba.

The 28-year-old lady, while narrating how her deceased son was reportedly tortured, said she registered Obinna at the school three weeks ago, only to be visited with the tragedy.

Speaking to newsmen amidst tears, she alleged that she met the school proprietress on Monday, February 7, the same day her son was flogged, who told her that her son committed a grievous offence, adding that the proprietress asked that she should come the following day.

READ ALSO:

She said: “I said what would be the offence of a child of one year and seven months. So, I left. Throughout that night we did not sleep. The next day, Tuesday, I took him back, that was when I could even see him properly, the bruises were uncountable.

“As I was making noise creating a scene for the teacher to come out, pupils from the class came out and told me that ‘our big mummy and uncle, and one aunty tied Obinna with white hanky hand and leg, and was flogging him like a goat.’

“I asked who big mummy was, they pointed at the proprietress. I met her and she didn’t deny it, she said Obinna is stubborn, that was why he was flogged. And I said who held him by the hand and leg, her son came out, looked into my face and said he was the one. My younger brother said he should come out, and he slapped my brother.”

Gift said Obinna’s condition deteriorated and was taken to the hospital at about 4 am on Thursday where the doctor said the pains resulted from internal bleeding and administered drugs on him.

Lamenting that his condition was not getting better, she said Obinna was referred to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, where doctors and others battled unsuccessfully to save her son’s life.

She said: “As soon as Obinna died, the school owner attempted to escape from Asaba to Onitsha but was tracked down at the park where the police took her and Emeka into custody.”

She lamented that three teachers flogged her son and inflicted multiple bruises on him, adding: “One of the suspects has already escaped from the town.”

Govt interested in the matter—Aniagwu

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, while briefing newsmen on the matter, said the state government was interested in the matter.

While maintaining that the school was being operated illegally, Aniagwu, who was flanked by his Primary Education counterpart, Chika Ossai, and Humanitarian Support Services, Bridget Anyanfulu, said the state government would see to its logical conclusion observing the tenets of the law.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ari Muhammed Ali, on his part, said the Police have opened a full-blown investigation into the matter.

He said: “Post mortem examination would be carried out to ascertain the medical cause of death but for now, as it were, it is alleged that it was the beating that killed him. That is left for the medical doctor to confirm. At the end of the day, the case would be charged to court.”
Vanguard

Related Topics:
Advertisement

metro

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

6 hours ago

on

November 14, 2024

By

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

READ ALSO:

According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

 

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Continue Reading

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

6 hours ago

on

November 14, 2024

By

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

READ ALSO:

“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Continue Reading

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

6 hours ago

on

November 14, 2024

By

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

READ ALSO:

He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Continue Reading

Trending