Miss Chidimma Ukachukwu, a 12-year-old pupil of a secondary school in
Awka, Anambra State, has died after she was allegedly flogged by her
teacher for failing to do her homework.
According to a reliable source of the News Agency of Nigeria in Awka, the girl died on Thursday last week after she was flogged.
The source further explained that the girl after being severely
flogged by a female teacher, lost consciousness and was immediately
rushed to an undisclosed hospital, where she died.
This led to a closure of the school by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Uju Okeke.
A NAN correspondent, who visited the girl’s family home, soon after
she was buried on Tuesday in Awka, reports that the family was in grief.
The girl’s father, Mr. Simeon Ukachukwu, confirmed the incident,
saying it was a sad development. He however added that it was an act of
God.
But when contacted, Mrs. Okeke denied the closure of the school was
as a result of the incident and said that the school was on mid-term
break.
NAN investigation, however, revealed that schools in the state were not on midterm break.
This fact was corroborated by an official of the Nigerian Union of Teachers in Akwa South Local Government Area.
The Chairperson of the union in the local government, Miss Buife
Ndigwe, told NAN that primary and secondary schools in the state would
go on midterm break next week.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the state police
command, Mr. Ralph Uzoigwe, said that the matter had not been reported
to the police, but promised that it would be investigated.
