PARENTS LAMENT TORTURE OF 11-YEAR-OLD PUPIL AT COMMAND SCHOOL

Barely nine months into his stay at the Command Secondary School, Ibadan, Oyo State, an 11-year-old JSS 1 pupil, Israel Dada, is down with illness after alleged serial torture in the hands of senior pupils of the school, Punchng reports.

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It was learnt that each time they were punished by the senior pupils, they would be threatened with stiffer punishment if the torture was reported to the school authorities and their parents. 

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It was gathered that matter came to a head on Friday, June 23, when Israel’s father was called on the telephone to come and pick his ailing son. Hitherto chubby Israel was said to have grown lean and had to be rushed to a hospital, where he was admitted and given medication. 

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Israel explained that three days before he fell sick, one Stephen, his hostel mate, who was in SSS I, had complained about a missing wristwatch and summoned all the junior pupils, including him. The victim said Stephen flogged them when he could not find the wristwatch on time. 

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He said, “He later found the wristwatch. Apart from him, other senior pupils, usually beat us. At times they would punish us because we didn’t greet them.” 

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The father, Olushola Dada, said apart from the illness, he had observed that his son was depressed. “He removed his clothes and was going to take a bath when his mother saw scars on his back. He was beaten up as if he was a thief,” the father said.

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Israel’s mother, Olasunkanmi Dada, said she was furious when she saw the scars, adding that the matter had been formally reported to the school management. 

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The Vice Principal of the school, Mr. James Olatunde, who confirmed the torture, said Stephen had been punished and sent to a ‘guardroom’ to serve as a deterrent to other senior pupils.