SaharaReporters on Sunday reported that the police in Maiduguri, Borno State capital arrested a female teacher of the school identified as Aunty Zara, for allegedly assaulting a four-year-old pupil.
Sources have revealed that the father of the minor who was allegedly abused by a teacher at Golden Olive Academy had complained about the attitude of the tricycle rider (Keke NAPEP rider) who regularly takes the teenage girl to school and back home.
SaharaReporters on Sunday reported that the police in Maiduguri, Borno State capital arrested a female teacher of the school identified as Aunty Zara, for allegedly assaulting a four-year-old pupil.
The Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, Sani Kamilu, on Saturday in a statement said it was the victim’s father who reported the case to the police, adding that investigations into the incident had begun.
In the latest development on the matter, PRNigeria reports that a senior staff member of the school disclosed that the father of the minor, Aisha, once complained to the school management about the attitude of the tricycle rider who regularly takes his daughter to school and brings her back home.
The staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak to journalists on the issue, said the victim’s father told the school management that he was planning to change the tricycle rider because he was always bringing his daughter back home late.
PRNigeria quoted the staff member as saying, "While we reckon that the investigation is still on, we make bold to inform Nigerians that there are no private or adult corners or rooms in our institution as our structure is strictly for kids.
"Again, Aunty Zara is not her only teacher as she has a colleague with whom they share the class. So, it beggars belief that she would have time and space to do what she is being accused of with the child."
Reacting to the incident, it was gathered that the management and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of Golden Olive Academy decried what it described as unfair reportage of the incident involving Aunty Zara and Aisha on social media.
The reported statement signed by Abdullahi Usman read, "We are saddened by the fact that without doing due diligence or seeking our side of the story, bloggers, online platforms and social media users are passing falsehoods and half-truths as gospel and thereby dragging the hard-earned reputation our Institution in the mud.
"As the investigations are going on, members of the public may need to realise that there are so many leads to the issue which have nothing to do with our reputable institution which has over the years been known for decency and appropriate conduct.
"A lot of facts are not available to the bloggers. We, therefore, consider it necessary to make the following clarifications. The four-year-old child was seven weeks old in the school before the alleged unfortunate incident.
"Her father, Hassan Dala, persuaded the school to accept his daughter on transfer. The school, after seeing how desperate the father was, granted the little child admission into a nursery class where Aunty Zara teaches.
"Knowing how fragile kids are and the weight of responsibility on our shoulders, we run a very disciplined system that doesn't give our teachers or other staff members the room to step out of line. Fortunately, we have also recruited a team of committed professionals both in teaching and non-teaching departments who take the welfare and overall development of our kids as topmost priority.
"We were therefore taken aback that when the alleged incident happened, the parents did not deem it fit to inform us so that we could carry out an in-house investigation and do the needful. Two days after the alleged incident, the father lodged a complaint at GRA police station.
"Police officers accompanied by the parents came to the school and arrested Aunty Zara and took her to the station. The school had to send some members of staff to the police station to find out why they arrested the teacher right inside the school. It was at that point that we were officially informed of the basis of her arrest.
"It was at that point that the school authority became interested in the case and did the needful immediately by giving the police information about the child, such as the Keke NAPEP driver who brings her to, and picks her from school; the schedule of duty of Aunty Zara; the Nanny and the other teachers.
"It is necessary to also point out that the father of the girl confided in the school that he was planning to change the Keke NAPEP driver because he was always bringing back his daughter home late."
However, the statement noted that the school is fully cooperating with the police to get to the root of the matter.
"Thus, the matter is still under investigation. The school authority, therefore, did not at any time interfere with the investigation of the case nor talk to the child to cover up as claimed by the father.
"Since the father started handling the matter on his own, he stopped bringing the child to school. Thus, the school has no contact with the child.
"We enjoin parents and the public to exercise patience as all the leads - her medical history and Keke NAPEP driver - made available to the police are under investigation," it stated.
"We can't say anything now until we complete the investigation on the matter," the state police spokesperson, Kamilu, told PRNigeria.