by Kolapo Olapoju

A teacher at a private school, Adeniran Adebayo, has been arraigned for molesting a 10-year-old form four pupil inside the school toilet.

The victim and the suspect are pupil and teacher at a private school on Olateju Ilesanmi Street, Baruwa, Ipaja area of Lagos.

The victim said her health teacher threatened to flog her if she raised alarm while he had sex with her in the toilet. She added that a female teacher in the school, however, heard her cry and came into the toilet, which prompted Adebayo to stop and hurriedly dress up.

She narrated the incident to a Lagos State Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ebute Meta on Wednesday, 13 August. The Police officer in charge of the case confirmed that the victim consistently recanted her account of events three different times.

He said, “I interviewed the victim after the matter was brought to the SCID. She said on the fateful day, she was in school after the closing hours and was waiting for her younger brother, who attended the same school, so they could go back home together.”

“While waiting, she decided to get busy with her assignments. She said it was while she was doing the assignment that the teacher came and said she should follow him. He then took her to a toilet within the school premises and threatened to cane her if she screamed, unzipped himself, undressed the pupil and made love to her.

“The girl said she was crying while this was on. It was a female teacher, who was passing by that heard her cry. The female teacher came closer to have a better look and immediately the suspect saw her, he quickly zipped up. The pupil said the female teacher told him that being a teacher, he should never have taken advantage of the girl.”

However, the victim denied the allegations when the Chief Magistrate, O.O. Olatunji gave him an opportunity to state his case.

Adebayo said, “I am the health teacher of the school. I married five years ago, and have two sons. There are six male teachers in the school. On that day, I didn’t call the girl. I only stood at the gate and asked her and her brother to go home. That was all.

“I was surprised that after four days, they came to my office and arrested me. The toilet in question has never even been used by anybody.”

In response to his statement, the chief magistrate said the account of the suspect was not credible enough.

The defendant was however granted bail in the sum of N300,000 with two sureties in like sum and the case was adjourned till 15 October, 2014.

Kolapo Olapoju