LAGOS, Nigeria — The mother of a 10-year-old Chrisland School pupil has accused the school of withholding information about an alleged sexual assault involving her daughter during a trip to Dubai, after a recording of a sexual encounter involving pupils circulated online.
In a video statement shared by media personality Ubi Franklin, the mother said school officials had initially informed her only that her daughter had been involved in a kissing incident. She said she learnt about the recording weeks later, after another parent contacted her.
The mother accused the school of questioning her daughter without parental consent, discouraging the child from disclosing what had happened, and failing to inform the family of the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
She appealed to Nigerians for assistance in securing justice for her daughter.
The allegations were made public on Monday, April 18, 2022.
Mother Describes Meetings With School Officials
The mother said she first received a telephone call from the school’s headteacher, identified as Mrs Azike, asking her to attend a meeting.
She said she visited the school two days later and met Azike and two other officials, who informed her that her daughter had been caught kissing a male pupil.
According to the mother, the headteacher attributed the incident to a game of Truth or Dare and advised her to withdraw her daughter’s mobile telephone to prevent further inappropriate behaviour.
The mother said another official, identified as Mrs Kemi, discouraged her from informing her husband about the incident.
Believing that the matter involved only kissing, she said she agreed to caution her daughter and left the school.
The child continued attending classes, and the mother said she received no further communication about the incident until approximately two to three weeks later, when Azike invited her to a Zoom meeting.
Several school officials attended the virtual meeting, including members of the school’s board, according to the mother.
She said one participant began discussing forgiveness without explaining the purpose of the meeting.
When she demanded clarification, the official reportedly told her that the school wanted to confirm that she had taken away her daughter’s telephone and determine how the child was doing.
The mother said the discussion ended without anyone informing her about the recording or the alleged sexual assault.
Another Parent Informs Family About Recording
The mother said she discovered the existence of the recording the following day, when another parent invited her to her home and showed her footage that had been circulating among members of the school community.
She said she immediately informed her husband, and they attempted to contact the headteacher.
According to the mother, Azike did not answer her repeated telephone calls. She said the headteacher subsequently spoke with her husband but denied knowing about the recording.
The mother said she then confronted her daughter, who told her that school officials had warned her not to disclose what had happened during the Dubai trip.
According to the mother’s account of her daughter’s disclosure, the child had gone to retrieve a telephone charger from other pupils when she was allegedly forced to consume an unidentified substance.
The mother alleged that her daughter was subsequently sexually assaulted and that other pupils recorded the incident.
She said the child had described being left without adequate supervision at a hotel during the school trip.
The allegations concerning the circumstances of the incident have not been independently established in the mother’s account.
Mother Accuses School of Threatening and Questioning Child
The mother alleged that school officials had repeatedly questioned her daughter about the incident without informing either parent or obtaining their consent.
She said representatives from the school’s headquarters had visited the child and conducted meetings with her while the family remained unaware of the recording.
According to the mother, school officials also questioned her daughter after a Mother’s Day event that she had attended on the premises.
She alleged that the child had been threatened with death if she disclosed what had happened.
The mother further accused a class teacher, identified as Mr Timothy, of verbally insulting her daughter in front of other pupils.
She said the child’s reluctance to attend school had become increasingly apparent, although she had not initially understood the reason for it.
Allegations Over Medical Tests and Suspension
The mother also accused the school of arranging a pregnancy test for her daughter without parental knowledge or consent.
She said school officials had informed the family that the child was undergoing Covid-19 testing, but she subsequently became suspicious about the nature of the medical examinations.
She questioned why blood and urine samples had allegedly been collected for tests described to the family as Covid-19 screening.
The mother said she and her husband had not authorised a pregnancy test.
She further alleged that the school issued a suspension letter to her daughter after the family began confronting officials about the incident.
The allegations concerning the medical examinations and the school’s handling of the case were presented in the mother’s statement. The account provided does not establish the medical procedures performed or include the results of any tests.
Mother Appeals for Justice
The mother accused Chrisland of attempting to conceal the incident rather than providing her family with a full account of what had happened.
She said her daughter had experienced psychological distress while the family remained unaware of the circumstances surrounding the recording.
Calling for public assistance, she urged Nigerians to support her efforts to obtain justice for the child.
“Please help me,” she said.
Her account was shared in a video statement published by The Trent.
