Joy Anyim
The Ogun State Police Command have launched a manhunt for a school teacher at Isolog Primary School in Akute, who had allegedly molested several young girls in the school.
The many sexual escapade involving the teacher identified as Mr. Adebayo Gbadebo came to the fore after he had recently molested a girl in the school (name withheld).
In an alleged attempt to cover up the act, the school management had sacked the teacher and ordered pupils and teachers of the school to swear an oath of secrecy. The management had placed a cause that anyone who let out the secret will encounter something evil.
However, the act became public knowledge after one of the pupils told her parent about what had happened in school.
Further investigation by the parent of the child revealed that the child had also been abused by Gbadebo for four years.
Father of one of the victims, who gave his name simply as Mr. Daniel said, “ My daughter who is nine year old, came home from school and was telling my wife that a male teacher in their school was sacked. My older daughter whom they both attend the same school had to shut her up.
“My wife who is also a teacher in the secondary arm of the school asked why she was shutting her up and my older daughter said the head teacher, Mrs. Racheal Oduntun had asked them not to tell anyone about the incident.
“ Curious about why the teacher was sacked and why they had asked the pupils not to tell anyone about it, my wife drew my daughter closer and asked her to tell her everything. My daughter revealed that the teacher was sacked because he raped her classmate.
“ Shocked by the revelation, my wife went to school the next day to find out how true it was from the principal. The principal revealed he was aware. My wife asked why they did not hand the teacher over to the police, the principal further stated that many children were involved. She also told my wife that my daughter had also been molested by Gbadebo. My wife almost fainted.
“ To be sure before taking any action, I and my wife questioned our daughter that night and after three hours of interrogation, she opened up saying the teacher had sex with her, including anal sex. She said the teacher had been molesting her since she was in primary two till now that she is in primary four.
“ I asked my daughter why she did not tell me or my wife about it and she said it was beacsue the teacher had threatened her with a video that if she told her parents or anyone, something bad will happen to her and her family.
“ We took our daughter to Gbagada Genaerl Hospital where it was confirmed that she had been penetrated, we also reported at the Ajuwon Police Division at Akute.”
On what made the Daniels’ to come public with the incident, the father of the victim said, “ The surprising aspect of this whole matter is that the young girl who was molested that prompted the sack of the teacher, her parents were not informed.
“ I was the one who traced her mother to her place of work to inform her. What the school management did because she was a boarding student, was to place her on antibiotics without informing her parents.
“ When the school management discovered I had reported to the police and was bent on getting justice for the girls, the owner of the school started calling to beg me that he consealed the matter in the best interest of the school. He said that he needed to protect the image and reputation of the school.”
Following the report to the police, 10 staff members of the school including the head teacher were arrested by the police.
It was gathered that when the police asked Racheal to produce the said teacher or even his contact address so that the police can go after him, she said she did not have the teacher’s phone number or address.
Mr. Daniel also alleged that the school proprietor, Engineer Ogundipe have recently taken to threatening him, “ He called me and was threatening me saying I want to bring down a school he has spent so much time and resources in building, that I will not go free.”
The Nigerian Xpress Correspondent also contacted the school management for comment. The school administrator, Mr. Olowe, who spoke to the correspondent via a telephone conversation confirmed the incident.
Mr. Olowe denied the fact that the school was shielding the teacher. He said, “ The Police has taken over the matter and the suspect will soon be arrested, we have given the police all we know about the suspect who is currently on the run. But I strongly believe that he will soon be arrested.”
On why the school did not get the police involved at the initial stage, Olowe said “ It was an omission on our part, what we would have done was to report to the police. However, we had to take a spontaneous action which included to sack the teacher. We were making arrangements to reach the parents of the abused girl before the news went viral. “
It was also learnt that some NGOs have taken up the matter to get justice for the victims.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi also confirmed the incident.
Oyeyemi said, “ I am just getting to know about the incident. The school authority had sacked the teacher after the incident without reporting to the police. It was some days after that the parent of one of the victim came to the police to report.
“ The police is looking for the teacher and we have mandated the school to produce him because the crime was committed while he was in service at the school. They should have handed him over to the police. “
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