An Upper Area Court in Yola, Adamawa State, has ordered the remand of the proprietress of Aliyu Mustapha Academy and a classroom teacher, Morgan Effiong, in a custodial center over the alleged brutalization of 14-year-old Jafar Bashiru Hamman.
The pupil was reportedly subjected to severe flogging and prolonged exposure to the sun, leaving him physically and emotionally traumatized.
According to Jafar’s father, Bashiru Hamman, his son was falsely accused of bringing a knife to school and was punished excessively. He narrated that the school authorities ignored his son’s pleas and intensified the punishment even after other pupils testified in his defense.
“My child was beaten mercilessly and forced to stay under the sun. They claimed he had a knife, but it was a lie,” he said. Jafar himself recounted that he was singled out for harsher treatment after failing to cry during the initial punishment.
Angered by the incident, the victim’s parents lodged a formal complaint at the Zone 3 Nigerian Police Headquarters, leading to the arrest of the accused despite alleged attempts to bribe the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officer handling the case.
During their arraignment at Upper Area Court 1 on Thursday, the proprietress and teacher pleaded not guilty and were remanded at the Jimeta Correctional Service Center. Presiding judge Shehu Mustapha adjourned the case to Friday for a ruling on their bail application.
The case has sparked renewed concerns over the rising cases of child torture in Nigerian schools, with many calling for stricter regulations and accountability to protect students from abuse.
