Following widespread concerns over the recent death of a 12- year- old student, Sylvester Oromoni, the House of Representatives, has urged the Federal Ministry of Education to set out strict guidelines for the operations of boarding schools across Nigeria.
The House while condemning in strong terms, recent incidences of inhuman treatment and abuses happening in boarding schools across the country, mandated the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to immediately commission and take over the investigation, prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators of the identified heinous crimes.
This came Tuesday, following a motion, calling for condemnation of such acts in boarding schools, sponsored by Unyime Idem, who noted that while there is no way to make a broad conclusion as to whether boarding schools are good or bad, some recent developments in Nigeria have triggered public outrage as many share their experiences.
“The social media has been agog in the last few days following the reports on Sylvester Oromoni, a 12-year-old boy who recently passed away on the 27th November, 2021 while nursing multiple internal injuries alleged to have been sustained after he was beaten by his fellow students who were bullying him at a boarding school.
“The parents of the deceased said he was attacked for declining to join what he termed as the secondary school’s ‘cult group’ dominated by older boys at Dowen College in Lekki, Lagos”, he recalled.
The lawmaker said, “Another incidence leading to the death of 14-year-old Karen-Happuch Aondodoo Akpagher of Premier Academy, Lugbe, Abuja on the 22nd day of June 2021, is one that left many heartbroken. Her parents narrated how their daughter was sexually assaulted and later died of complications as a result of a condom left in her private part. Six months later, there is still no news of a suspect being arrested.”
