Metro

Mother Protests As Lagos Principal Brutalises 14-year-old Pupil

Published

3 years ago

May 29, 2023

The mother of a Senior Secondary School student, Mrs Becky Folorunso, has cried out for justice after the Principal of Pholex Private School, Ebute-Meta in Lagos, allegedly brutalised her son for not writing class notes.

In an interview with PUNCH Metro on Friday, Folorunso said that was not the first time her son, Adam, would be flogged in such manner by the principal, Adewale Adetona.

Bruises suspected to be from whips could be seen on the boy’s back from pictures made available to our correspondent.

The troubled mother said while she had scolded her son and warned him to be writing his class notes, beating her child to that extent was uncalled for.

She called on relevant authorities of the Lagos State Government, particularly the State Universal Basic Education Board to intervene in the matter.

Folorunso said, “He is a playful son, but he is not a bad boy. He came home a few days ago and told me ‘Mummy, this beating is too much.’ He showed me his back and I saw bruises. But not like this very one. He said it was because he did not write one note. I scolded him and warned him to always write his notes.

“But when he came home on Thursday, May 25, he cried, ‘Mummy, I can’t take this any longer.’ When he removed his uniform and showed me his back, I was shocked and asked what happened to him. He said it was because he did not complete his Social Studies notes.”

She said her son told the principal to check well, but he wouldn’t listen to him. She said the principal began flogging the boy. “I heard he (the principal) said he knew me, but knowing me doesn’t mean he should kill my child,” the mother said.

Continuing, Folorunso recalled that she had been planning to withdraw the boy from the school following tales of alleged inhuman treatment being meted out to students before the incident.

“I didn’t know about all these stories before we registered him. How can they be running a private learning environment as if it is a public school where things like this go unpunished?” she queried.

When contacted, the school principal, Adetona, said he did not beat the child unjustly.

Speaking with The PUNCH correspondent via a phone call on Friday, he said he was checking all the students’ notes to know some of them who were not writing up to date.

Adetona said, “I am a parent, I don’t beat unjustly. I know the mother very well. I noticed the boy doesn’t have a note at all. I just resumed the office (in the school) not quite long (ago). I’m searching their entire notes one after the other to know those that are not doing well. Several complaints (have) come from teachers and several warnings asking the boy to change.

“I had to beat him yesterday (Thursday). I have been warning them for over two weeks to go and update their notes.”

He said the last time the boy brought his school fees, he was the one that gave him N500 to go and pay through the Point of Sale machine so that he would not lose the money while trying to go to the bank. “I would not beat him unjustly,” he reiterated.

On his part, the school’s proprietor, Mr Foluso Akomolafe, condemned the beating of the student and apologised to the mother.

He said although the boy was not writing notes, there were other means to discipline a student.

“He (the principal) warned him (the student) that he shouldn’t do that again, that he must make sure he copies notes,” Akomolafe added, saying the school fee paid by the parents was like a waste if the student was not writing notes.

“I blamed the principal. As much as you are trying to correct the boy, you should always take it easy with them, they are children. Whatever corrective measures you want to put in place, you shouldn’t be flogging,” the proprietor told The PUNCH.

Suggesting other ways to discipline a student, he said the student could be punished or suspended instead of flogging such a child.

“What the boy did was bad but then he could be asked to kneel or invite the parent. He was sorry about it and apologised to the mother.

“The school does not permit flogging because the Lagos State Government does not want us to flog any child, no matter the offence. We don’t support flogging. He (the principal) is a new person and had barely spent a month or two with us,” he added.

Metro

Edo Assembly Declares Okpebholo’s Projects Unprecedented

Published

5 days ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

The Edo State House of Assembly has described projects embarked upon by Governor Monday Okpebholo as unprecedented in the history of Edo State.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Atu Osamwonyi, made the assertion when he led members of the legislature on a comprehensive oversight inspection of several ongoing infrastructural projects.

Other lawmakers on the oversight team included Hon. Addeh Isibor, Hon. Yekini Idaiye, and Hon. Ugabi Kingsley.

Hon. Osamwonyi, who spoke during an assessment tour of the Sapele Road Flyover, said the lawmakers were in the field to verify the progress of work and ensure that funds appropriated by the Assembly were being judiciously utilised.

According to him, the flyover represents a milestone for Benin City and reflects the governor’s commitment to infrastructural renewal.

He emphasised that unlike past administrations where funds were approved with no tangible results, the Okpebholo-led government had demonstrated transparency and visible delivery.

“In my entire life in Edo State, this flyover project is the first of its kind. We are here physically, and work is ongoing,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker added that the Assembly had earlier inspected the Ramat Park Flyover on Monday, noting similar levels of progress.

“This is the fifth site we have visited since yesterday. We are impressed with what we have seen so far, and as a House, we will stand by the governor to ensure he finishes strong,” he said.

At Ogheghe, Old Sapele Road and Ekae Road—where a 14-kilometre road and concrete drainage network is underway—Hon. Osamwonyi described the construction efforts as unprecedented, expressing astonishment at the level of work done within a short period.

He insisted that the legislature does not play politics with accountability and would speak the truth at all times.

“If Governor Okpebholo was not doing well, we would say it. But I stand here today to affirm that the funds appropriated are being used judiciously for the benefit of the people.l”, he noted.

He further remarked that despite limited financial resources, the governor had delivered projects many believed were impossible.

The Deputy Speaker recalled that several communities, particularly in Ogheghe, previously suffered from severe road degradation that made access impossible, even for motorcycles.

“But today we are standing here with joy. The governor has brought democracy to Edo in a way the people can feel,” he said.

According to him, contractors handling the projects confirmed that although the initial timeline was two years, work would likely be completed within one year and six months due to the speed of implementation.

“That tells you that Governor Okpebholo is not eating Edo people’s money,” he added.

Hon. Osamwonyi stressed that the Assembly would resist any attempt to derail the governor’s momentum.

“This is the continuity we want in Edo State. Anybody who wants to thwart the governor’s efforts, we will not agree,” he said.

The oversight team also visited the 5.86-kilometre road project linking Amagba and Obagie-N’Ebvuosa, where the engineer handling the project reported that 4.3 kilometres of drainage had already been completed.

Metro

Edo Final-year Student Dies In Sign-out Motorcade Crash

Published

5 days ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

A yet-to-be-identified final-year student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, has lost his life in a road crash after he and some other students embarked on a motorcade parade to celebrate the completion of their final examinations.

It was learnt on Tuesday from a Facebook user, Inside Edo, that the accident occurred on Monday shortly after the students finished their final examination.

Inside Edo disclosed that the vehicle had attempted to overtake another before losing control and ramming into a truck.

The post read, “A tragic accident has occurred at Ujoelen, close to the primary school, resulting in the death of a newly graduated student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

“According to eyewitnesses, the crash happened during an attempted overtaking by one of the vehicles involved.

“The risky manoeuvre reportedly led to a loss of control, causing the fatal incident. Residents who were nearby rushed to the scene, but the victim could not be saved.”

Similarly, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the students were said to have been driving recklessly before crashing into a stationary truck.

The deceased was said to be part of a convoy made up of fresh graduates of the university.

NAN reported, “He was reportedly part of a convoy of fresh graduates who took to the highway on Monday shortly after their signing-out activities.

“Witnesses said the group drove recklessly and failed to observe basic safety rules during the celebrations.

“The tragedy occurred when the deceased attempted to overtake a moving truck but collided with a stationary vehicle parked along the road.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, proved abortive, as the official number available on the FRSC directory was not reachable at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, NAN reported that Mathew later confirmed the incident, adding that one person died while five others were injured in the crash.

“The students, after writing their last paper, took to the road in a convoy.

“In the process, one of them overtook another vehicle and rammed into a stationary truck,” NAN quoted Mathew as saying.

Metro

One Dies In Oyo Fire, Two Rescued

Published

5 days ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

One person lost her life in a fire incident at Agbaakin Street, behind Testing Ground, Iwo Road, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.

This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

He said the fire resulted from a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials.

Akinwande added that the firefighting operation was successfully carried out with the support of officers of the Federal Fire Service.

“The fire emergency was received at exactly 20:18 hours on Monday, December 8, 2025.

“On getting there, it was two rooms on the upper floor of a private residential building of 12 rooms engulfed by fire.

“One person (female) was recovered, while two persons (males) were rescued alive. The fire also affected only two rooms, and the whole building and other properties worth millions of naira were saved by the officers of the agency.

“The fire incident was a result of a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials. The operation was jointly carried out with the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command,” he explained.

In a related development, a fire incident on Tuesday engulfed the Agric Business Development Agency at Total Garden in Ibadan.

A statement by the State Fire Service Chairman, Akinwande, said the agency received a telephone call through Mr Akinyinka reporting that fire had ravaged the place.

“The incident was reported at exactly 09:20hrs on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, through a telephone call by Mr Akinyinka (the General Manager, Oyo State Fire Services Agency) to the office, reporting a fire at the above-stated address.

“The officers, led by ACFS Oyeniyi Taofeek, swiftly mobilised and deployed to the scene. Upon arrival, it was discovered that electrical sparks from a solar inverter control board on the upper floor of the building resulted in the fire.

“The swift response and professional intervention of our officers prevented the situation from escalating into a fire disaster. The use of portable fire extinguishers was employed during the firefighting operation.

“No casualty was recorded, and properties worth millions of naira were saved by the fire service. The fire incident was a result of electrical sparks from the inverter system,” the statement read.

The chairman, therefore, advised the public to always use correct cables and other electrical materials for their installations.