…. victim,an only child whose father is on national assignment in North East fighting insurgents
Emeka Nwogbo,teacher of Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School,a private school in Asaba, the Delta State capital has been arrested by the police in connection with the death of a 19- month- old pre- nursery pupil of the school, Obinna Udeze.
Nwogbo, who also is the son of the proprietress of the school had reportedly flogged Udeze on Monday, leaving marks of cane on his body.
It was learnt that the boy fell sick after the beating and was taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.
His health condition was said to have deteriorated until he eventually died on Saturday morning.
Although the reason for the teacher’s action could not be verified at the moment, as he allegedly gave several reasons for giving the infant the fatal blow,an account said the teacher flogged Udeze for pushing another child, while another claimed that the victim was punished for playing with a tap in the school.
Yet another from the infant’s mother said Udeze was hungry and approached the teacher to help him with his lunch box. Nwogbo was reportedly furious and allegedly flogged the boy leaving scars on his body.
When contacted, the victim’s mother, Gift, , narrated the circumstances leading to the death of her son.According to her, her son returned from the school – Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School – on Monday with marks of strokes all over his body.
“I took him back to the school immediately to find out why he was beaten that much. The proprietress asked me if I knew the gravity of my son’s offence; a boy of a year and seven months. I told her I would come back the next day to know the person who beat him.
“On my way home, some pupils of the same school told me how my son was tied up and given several strokes of cane because he said he was hungry. Throughout the night, he was running temperature. On Tuesday, I took him to the school to complain. The woman said I was disturbing the peace of the school.”
Gift explained that she left the school and took Udeze to the hospital where he was admitted, adding that the proprietress didn’t bother to visit the boy.
According to her, the boy went into coma on Thursday which is why she reported the matter to a non -governmental organization
“On Thursday, he went into a coma. That was when I have involved a non-governmental organisation and the police went to the school. The woman’s son (Nwogbo) told the police that he flogged my son.
“He said he (Udeze) was playing with the tap but his mother even said my son’s hand couldn’t reach where the tap is. At the GRA Police Station, he changed the narrative; he said my son pushed another child and he beat him. The proprietress herself claimed my son was stubborn and cried a lot.”
The bereaved mother said she asked more pupils what transpired that day and was told that Udeze took his lunch box to “the Big Mummy (the proprietress)” crying.
“They said she collected the box from him and complained that he cried too much. They said the proprietress’ son tied him up and started flogging him. He was my only child; my everything. He became so weak and died this morning (Saturday) at the emergency ward of the FMC,” she stated before breaking down in tears.
The, Coordinator, Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, Ebenezer Omejalile, said the organisation would follow up on the case to ensure justice was served.
Omejalile said: “Even if the child was beaten for playing with water, was it not negligence on the part of the school? The boy’s father is a military officer serving in the North East. The family doesn’t even know whether he is dead or alive. He is under captivity of Boko Haram.
“We want to see what the government will do on this case. We want to see what the Ministry of Justice and the police will do. A similar thing happened in Lagos a few days ago when a two-year-old was flogged because he could not read the English alphabet.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bright Edafe, said the police had commenced investigation into Udeze’s death.
Edafe said: “According to the information available to me, the child was beaten by a son of the proprietress. The son is a teacher in the school. He is in custody. The little boy died this morning.
“The reason (for the beating) is immaterial. What could make an adult flog a one-year-seven-month-old child? Edafe said.
