Lead British International School, Federal Capital Territory (FCT),Abuja, has been shut, though temporarily, by the management of the school, to allow for further investigation into the alleged bullying of a student, Maryam Hassan.
Hassan, was seen in a viral video posted on the social media being slapped repeatedly by another female student, who was being watched and recorded by some of her school mates over issues allegedly relating to boyfriend.
Head of School, Abraham Ogunkanmbi, in a statement, said the counselling unit of the school has been asked to assist the victimised student to quickly overcome the emotional and psychological impact of the bully.
The statement read, “We are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students. Hence, upon learning of the incident, we initiated the process of reaching out to the victim and family with a view to providing support, including access to counselling services to help them cope with the emotional and psychological impact of the incident.
“Additionally, we will be working with the perpetrators and their families, offering counselling and disciplinary measures to address their behaviour which has no place in society.
“We have also immediately initiated an investigation, appointing a dedicated team to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter. “The team has been gathering information, including reviewing video footage and interviewing witnesses, to understand the full scope of the incident and identify the immediate and remote causes”.
Meanwhile, FCT Police Publlic Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Josephine Adeh, in a message posted on her X handle (Twitter), said the Police have commenced investigation into the matter to know what truly happened.
She said: “in a proactive response to alarms raised by some members of the public regarding the videos circulating on social media depicting the bullying of students at the above mentioned school, the FCT Police Command is on top of the situation and has deployed seasoned officers to the school premises for investigations, and to forestall any possible breakdown of law and order. ”
Similarly, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, said the Federal Ministry of Education is deeply troubled by the numerous reports of bullying at Lead British International Academy, Abuja, and will promptly investigate the allegations.
He said: “Federal Ministry of Education is committed to ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. Appropriate measures will be taken to address any instances of bullying and prevent future occurrences.”
