The Edo State government has ordered the arrest and prosecution of students involved in a disturbing bullying incident at Igbinedion Secondary School, which recently went viral on social media. The footage showed two male students physically assaulting a fellow student who lay helpless on the ground.
In the video, one of the alleged attackers can be seen grabbing the victim by his suit and stomping on his chest while the boy cried out in pain. A third student, reportedly recording the incident, can be heard pleading for the assault to stop. The clip provoked widespread outrage, prompting the school to expel the students involved.
Kassim Afegbua, Edo State Commissioner for Information, told Sunrise Daily on Channels Television that all three students would face prosecution. “Three students were involved. And the commissioner of police said the parents and the culprits are expected to come and they would definitely face prosecution,” he said. He added that although the students are minors, juvenile correctional centres could be used if the court orders prosecution.
Describing the incident as “quite worrisome,” Afegbua stressed the shared responsibility of parents and teachers. “This is a boarding school, so students are under the supervision of their teachers while parents are away. But when they return home, how do we know what they are doing? This boy could have just passed on from the level of physical assault, and we may not have known if videos were not shown. It could have just been another unreported incident,” he said.
Afegbua noted that Governor Monday Okpebholo has instructed the Edo police commissioner to press charges and carry out a thorough investigation into the prevailing conduct at Igbinedion Education Centre. “Imagine how painful it would be if your child went to school and the next thing you hear is that they passed away, not by their own fault, but because of unholy conduct by seniors or classmates. We are frowning very strongly about this,” he said.
The commissioner added that new reports suggest bullying incidents at the school may be more widespread than initially believed. A five-man investigative committee has been deployed to gather statements from witnesses, including those willing to speak anonymously, to assess the situation and ensure appropriate action is taken.
