Tobias Sylvester
A teacher identified as Emeka Nwogbo has been arrested over the death of Obinna Udeze, a 19-month-old pupil of Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School in Asaba, Delta state.
Delta Teacher Arrested Over Obinna Udeze’s Death
Nwogbo, who is said to be a son to the proprietress of the private school, was said to have flogged the pupil on Monday, leaving several marks of the cane on his body.
It was gathered that days after the incident, the 19-month-old pupil took ill and was taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Asaba where he eventually died.
When contacted, the state police command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe confirmed that the teacher has been arrested over the pupil’s death on Saturday morning, TheCable reports.
He said, “Yes, it’s true. The pupil died yesterday (Saturday) morning. We have arrested the teacher. He’s currently in our custody and the investigation into the matter continues. He would be charged to court as soon as possible.”
Delta Government Shuts Down School
The Delta State government has shut down Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School in Asaba following Obinna Udeze’s death.
The State Commissioner for Primary Education, Chika Ossai, who disclosed this to Punch, said the government’s decision to seal up the affected institution is because the proprietor does not have an operational licence.
Ossai said, “Yes, this (Sunday) morning, the government swung into action and sealed the school for now. Secondly, it is not an approved school.
“The proprietress and the son are in police custody so the State government is very serious about the incident and would follow it to the end, to make sure that those who are operating illegal schools will be dealt with properly.
“Because it will be easier to monitor registered schools but for those illegal ones, we will continue to close them down. He urged school operators to be mindful of the manner pupils are handled in the schools.”
This comes a few weeks after a 30-year-old teacher, Abdulmalik Tanko, was arrested over his alleged involvement in the kidnap and death of a five-year-old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar, in Kano State.
