Edith CHUKU
A female teacher of Silver Bird International School at Agip, Mile 4, Port Harcourt, Sonia Amadi, received the beating of her life for allegedly flogging her J.S.S 1 Student whose name was given simply as Favour.
Amadi was mercilessly beaten on Monday morning by parents of the pupil who later invaded the school and locked up the admin officer, Joy Ajayi, inside her office.
TNN learnt that it took the intervention of other parents to prevent the family who had physically assaulted the female teacher from beating up the admin officer.
Their grievance was that their child was flogged inappropriately by the teacher.
In an interview with newsmen, Ajayi who narrated the incident explained that, “this morning I was in my office when a group of boys, two boys precisely marched into my office, locked my office door and said they wanted to flog me.
“As one was about to flog me, there is a scissors we use in doing school work, the other one carried the scissors that he wanted to stab me, that why should they flog his brother that is in this school.
“All the teachers came out and told them that there is no need for them to take this thing to this extent, they refused to open the door. There was a parent inside here with me we were resolving an issue, so the parents had to start begging them that please they should calm down, they were here for more than 15, 20 minutes or thereabout, my teachers were outside trying to get inside, my teachers couldn’t get inside.
“I was locked inside the office and they said they were going to flog me. They should go and call the Police, they should call lawyer that they will flog me. So I now said I have a right to defend myself, allow me to defend myself. As I was talking that was when their father came and said they should open the door, they opened the door, the father said he wants to carry his family and go that he will come back later.”
The admin officer added that “the name of the student is Favour, in J.S.1. I didn’t know that before they got to my office, a teacher was already being flogged on the road as she was coming to school, my English Teacher by name Sonia Amadi, they flogged her, she is in the office. I had to tell her to calm down, so that we can clean the place and take her to the pharmacy for her to take tetanus injection.
“They flogged her seriously; the mother of the boy slapped her as she was coming to school. I didn’t know they had already accosted my teacher as she was about entering the gate. So, as she entered the gate with them they marched straight to my office. I work with the owner of the school under admin.”
When contacted, the mother of the student dropped the call. Till the time of filing this report she was yet to respond to text and whatsapp messages sent to her which from network response has been delivered to her.
Meanwhile the school management has lodged a formal complainant at Ada George Police Division where the teacher was issued medical form to proceed to clinic for treatment.
Still on the incident, a human rights group, Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, has vehemently condemned the assault of the female teacher.
National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Prince Wiro also slammed the invasion of the school and attempt to beat up the admin officer after locking her up in her office.
Wiro stated that, “we condemn in strong term the alleged invasion of the school by the brothers and family of the J.S.S 1 Student and locking up the Principal in her office.
“We also condemn the alleged physical assault on the female teacher, Sonia Amadi by the family of the J.S.S 1 Student on account that she flogged their child in a way that is inappropriate.
“One thing I want parents to know is if you feel the way the teacher or the school treated your child is not right there are channels of seeking redress. If there are physical assaults you can go to the police, if you don’t want to go to the police the ministry of education is there to lay a formal complain rather than resulting to self-help and also taking laws into your hands.”
The rights advocate called on the Police to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and anybody found culpable no matter how highly placed should be made to face the law.
