Nigeria: Abuja school shut, victim may sue
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
Lead British International School Abuja, which has been at the center of attention due to viral videos of bullying involving its students, has been temporarily shut down for three days.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, issued the shutdown order on Tuesday. The school’s closure was confirmed by the Public Relations Officer of the FCT Education Secretariat, Kabiru Musa. The decision to close the school comes after videos of bullying incidents went viral on social media, drawing widespread condemnation and calls for the school authorities to take action. In one video, a female student is seen being repeatedly slapped by another female classmate. Another video depicts a separate instance of bullying, where male students surround and harm another boy. In response to the incidents, the victim of the bullying at Lead British International School, Namtira Bwala, has written a letter to the school management demanding a thorough investigation and heavy sanctions for the 11 students involved in the bullying. The police have also launched an investigation into the matter, and the school management has initiated its own investigation. In a video obtained by our correspondent, one of the alleged perpetrators,
Maryam Hassan, has apologized for her actions. The school has expressed its commitment to conducting a thorough inquiry and providing counseling and disciplinary measures to the families involved. The closure of the school and the ongoing investigations highlight the seriousness with which bullying is being addressed in educational institutions.
