A clergyman, Bishop Abiodun Ositelu and his wife, Rosaline, have accused the management of the Federal Government Girls College, Sagamu, Ogun State, of attempting to cover up the alleged assault meted against their 14-years-old daughter, Juliana, by six of her colleagues on the school premises.
The victim’s parents, while lamenting over the development, accused the school management of treating the case of assault that caused their daughter an injury on the face with levity.
During an interview with our correspondent, Ositelu said he got to know that his daughter had been assaulted when he paid her a visit in school and saw a scar on her face.
Upon inquiry to ascertain the cause of the scar on her face, the clergyman said his daughter, a JSS 3 pupil, narrated that six of her colleagues assaulted her because she refused to obey their commands.
Ositelu said when he reported the case to the school management, nothing was done, adding that he was also denied a chance to take his daughter to the hospital for treatment.
He said, “I went to my daughter’s school to visit her on their visiting day in May 2023 and I was surprised to see that her face had been bruised seriously. I asked her what happened and she told me that six of her housemates in school beat her because she refused to do things that they wanted.
“I informed the principal of the school, Adenike Olodo, and was told that they would launch an investigation into the matter but the situation has remained the same. The school management is taking this matter with levity and if anything should happen to my daughter, I won’t take it lightly.
“The principal told me they have had issues of pupils trying to coerce others to join cults or get involved in sexual activities. I have tried on many occasions to get them to investigate this matter but they have been giving me excuses, they don’t even pick up my calls or reply to my messages again.”
Also speaking with our correspondent, Rosaline said she visited the school regarding the case the next day but was denied access to see her daughter because it was not a visiting day.
She added, “They told my husband that they would investigate what was going on but since that time, nothing was done. My daughter’s face is scarred following the constant beatings.”
Juliana, while narrating her ordeal to our correspondent, said, “They always beat me; they told me that if I don’t do what they want, they will not stop and when I asked them what they wanted me to do, they said that they would tell me later.”
Contacted for a reaction on the matter, the Vice Principal of the school, whose name could be identified simply as Mrs Olayinka, proved abortive as calls made to her phone number were unanswered.
She had yet to respond to a text message sent to her number regarding the case as of the time this report was filed.
The Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Benjamin Goong, when contacted, said, “When I got the details of the matter from the parents of the pupil, I told them to petition the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, so that the matter would be investigated promptly.”
