*Victim Seeks Justice, Alleged Perpetrator Apologises
LEAD British International School, Abuja, whose student was seen bullying another student in a viral video, has been shut for three days.
The shutdown order was issued on Tuesday, April 23, by the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Federal capital Territory (FCT) Education Secretariat, Kabiru Musa: “It was shut down by the honourable Minister of Women Affairs for three days.”
Two video clips posted on X showed a female student of the school being repeatedly slapped by another female student, an action that has attracted widespread condemnation across the country, many calling on the school authorities to investigate and sanction the culprit(s).
During the minister’s visit to the school, a voice, ostensibly that of a staff of the school, was heard saying: “By the request of the Minister of Women Affairs, we are Nigerians who respect rules and regulations and we are under the law, because our school is actually recognised and our school is under the Federal Capital Territory, and we are registered and based on that, Lead British International School, Abuja is hereby shut for three days.”
The bullies have been identified as Maryam Hassan and a certain Faliya.
Nevertheless, the assaulted student, Namtira Bwala, has written the school management, demanding a thorough investigation and sanctions for the students, numbering 11, who bullied her.
Bwala, in a letter addressed to the management of her school through her lawyers at the Deji Adeyanju and Partners Law Firm, gave the school 48 hours after which she threatened to seek legal redress.
Among others, the letter read: “Our client and several other parents in Lead British International School have informed us and we verily believe them that this act of bullying is a reoccurring issue in the school, and despite several attempts to draw the school’s attention to it, the issue has persisted, leaving our client traumatised from the emotional and physical effect of the oppressive acts by these daredevil bullies.
“Our client completely dissociates herself from the statement issued by the school on April 22, 2024, wherein a case of battery was unconscionably referred to as an ‘incident between minors.’
“Sequel to the foregoing, we have our client’s instruction to demand an immediate investigation and the pronouncement of the stiffest possible sanctions in the student’s rule book on Ms. Maryam Hassan, Miss Faliya and nine other students who have formed a cult of bullies in Lead British International School, Gwarimpa, Abuja.
“Please note that if the school fails to sanction the student bullies within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter, we have our client’s further instruction to seek an immediate and severe legal redress against Lead British International School, Gwarimpa, without further recourse to you.”
The FCT Police Command has also announced the deployment of its officers to the school, according to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, on Tuesday, April 23, as a proactive response to alarms raised by members of the public regarding the viral videos on social media.
While assuring that the Command was on top of the situation and that investigations were ongoing, Adeh added: “The FCT Police Command has deployed seasoned officers to the school premises for investigations and to forestall any possible breakdown of law and order.”
Similarly, the school’s management, in a statement, said it had begun an investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, one of the alleged perpetrators-Maryam Hassan- has apologised to her classmate and victim- Namtira Bwala- over the incident, saying she wished the whole episode had not happened.
Speaking in another video, Hassan said: “I am very sorry for what I did to Namtira. I am also apologising to you all out there. I am sincerely sorry. I wish it never happened.”
A statement signed by the Head of the school, Abraham Ogunkanmbi, said the school had appointed a dedicated team to conduct a “thorough inquiry” into the matter and the team was currently gathering information, including the review of the video footage and interviews with witnesses, to understand the full scope of the incident and identify the immediate and remote causes.
“We have also immediately initiated an investigation, appointing a dedicated team to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter. The team has been gathering information, including reviewing video footage and interviewing witnesses, to understand the full scope of the incident and identify the immediate and remote causes.”
Ogunkanmbi, in the statement posted on LBIS Instagram’s page, stated that the school has also reached out to the families of both the perpetrators and the victims to offer them counselling and disciplinary measures as appropriate.
