The mystery detectives at Homicide section of State Criminal
Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, have been trying resolve
through investigations since a member of the National Youths Service
Corps (names withheld) serving at Akingbile Oluana Grammar School,
Moniya, Ibadan was brought to them on the allegation that a student she
caned died six days after.
Crime Reports learnt that the female corper disciplined about six
students.
The corp member reportedly gave the six students two strokes of cane each on
January 24 for playing during teaching period and for not responding
when she asked their colleagues to call them.
Surprisingly, the parents of the girl brought her back to the school on
January 27 and said the hand on which she was beaten was swollen. With
the belief that two strokes of cane could not cause such an injury, the
parents were advised to take the girl to the hospital for medical
treatment.
From a swollen hand, the girl’s condition deteriorated so much that by
January 30, her entire body became swollen, according to information
gathered by Crime Reports, and it was then she was taken to one Osoko
Maternity Hospital where she was confirmed dead.
Her death reportedly led to a mini protest as the girl’s relations went
to the school to disrupt academic activities. When the case was reported
at Moniya Division, it was immediately transferred to the State CID for
investigations.
In an interview with Crime Reports, the youth corps member, an indigene
of a town in Oke Ogun area of Oyo State and a 2012 graduate of a
polytechnic, said she believed she was not responsible for the girl’s
death and should not be made to suffer unjustly. According to the Office
Technology and Management graduate, “I am one of the corpers deployed
to Akingbile Oluana Memorial School, Moniya. I was teaching JSS1
students Basic Science.
“On January 24, the students went to play outside the class and I told
some of their colleagues to go and call them so that I could mark the
attendance for the day. I could not speak loud then because I lost my
voice. Some of them responded to my call while others did not. Because
of this, I gave the disobedient ones two strokes of cane each on their
palms in the classroom.
“On January 27, one of them, a female, was brought to the school and I
was told that her hand was swollen. I said it could not be because of
the caning, as there was even no mark on her palm. As her teacher, I
asked her colleagues whether they knew her residence so that I could go
and greet her but they said they did not.
“On January 30, the principal called me and said that she learnt that
the entire body of the girl was swollen. Her family was said to have
brought some people who disrupted the activities of the school. The
principal said she enquired whether she had been taken to the hospital
but the family members replied in the negative. She asked that she
should be taken to the hospital.
“I was at a meeting of youth corps members when I was called that we
should go and pay the girl a visit in the hospital. By the time we got
to the hospital, one of the teachers came to me and said she learnt that
the student was dead.
“On January 1, I went to our coordinator at the local government council
before going to the state council of the NYSC to report what happened. I
was brought to the State CID by the coordinators and I have been in
detention since then.
“I am surprised because she was not the only that I gave two strokes of
cane. What I know is that whatever is hidden from man is clear before
God Almighty. I believe that it was not the strokes of cane that caused
the girl’s death. I know I have done nothing wrong and it would not be
good to make an innocent person suffer unjustly.”
The police spokesperson in Oyo State, Olabisi Okuwobi-Ilobanafor
confirmed the story, when contacted, stating that detectives were still
investigating the story. She said that the corpse of the deceased girl
had been deposited at the State Hospital, Adeoyo, Ibadan for autopsy.
-Tribune
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