A young boy, identified as Emmanuel Amidu, has died after he was reportedly flogged by his teacher for failing to complete his homework.
Emmanuel, a junior student of Simple Faith Schools, Agbara, Lagos State, passed away at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Surulere, on Friday, May 13.
According to his grieving father, Akinola Amidu, the 12-year-old was hale and hearty when he left home for school on Thursday, May 12, and was surprised to receive a call at work that he was sick.
He said his son starting vomiting shortly after being beaten by his teacher and was rushed to a hospital where he died the following day.
He said: “I was at home that Thursday because I was on leave. I recall that Emmanuel asked me for money to buy a new exercise book and I gave him N500 to buy the book and give the remaining change to his sister.
“Later that day, I was called by the management of the school that Emmanuel was vomiting. Meanwhile, this was a boy who left home without any health issue. I had to go to the school and we moved him to a hospital.
“I later learnt that the whole thing started after their class teacher, Mr Steven, beat the whole of his class for not completing their mathematics assignment.”
Akinola alleged that the school management was trying to cover up his son’s death and protecting the school teacher, whom he identified as Steven, Punch reports.
The deceased’s 13-year-old sister, Rachael, speaking on the incident, said her brother started vomiting after he was beaten by his teacher, alongside the rest of the class for failing to do their assignments.
She said:
“I was called by our English teacher that my brother was not feeling fine and he did not eat and had been sleeping.
“His friend told me that they were beaten for not doing their sums in mathematics and after that he was just sleeping and vomiting.”
The school principal, Adetayo Akanji, who confirmed that the teacher beat the students over their homework, said he didn’t intend to cause harm to any of them.
“I was there when Emannuel died on Friday and it was unfortunate that it happened this way. Yes, Steven flogged the whole class for not doing their sums, but not with the intention to hurt them.
“Some hours after that, he (Emmanuel) placed his head on his desk and he started vomiting, after which water was poured on his head.
“When he started to vomit, the proprietor called me and we took the boy to the hospital. In fact, the father joined us when he was taken to LUTH where he and I were running around to get prescribed drugs for him. But before we came back, he had given up. Our school reported the matter at the Morogbo Police Station.”
