The management of a private school in the Arepo area of Ogun State, which has been accused by parents of making incisions on two pupils, has firmly denied the allegations and provided a detailed account of the incidents.
The school’s director, Abimbola Oluwunmi, explained that the controversy began on 11 March 2025 when two parents, Mrs. Toyin Adurogboye and Mrs. Risikat Ishola, arrived at the school accompanied by several others, including Mrs. Alabi, the grandmother of Al-Ameen Ishola, and Iya Kudi, the carer of Kayla Adurogboye.
They claimed that their children, Al-Ameen, aged 5, and Kayla, aged 2 years and 8 months, had suspicious marks on their bodies. The parents alleged that these marks were the result of incisions made at the school.
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Upon being confronted, Oluwunmi immediately sought to understand the nature of the allegations. The parents stated that their children had mentioned an “aunty” who instructed them to “bend down and put pepper on their backs.” Oluwunmi quickly pointed out that the school does not refer to staff members as “aunty,” casting doubt on the children’s accounts.
When questioned directly, Kayla refused to speak, and her mother admitted that she did not expect her to respond. Similarly, Al-Ameen claimed to know nothing about the alleged incident. Oluwunmi also expressed concern over the parents’ explanation that their children were “afraid,” raising questions about whether the children had been coached or influenced in their statements.
Oluwunmi then asked the parents whether their children had been anywhere else besides the school. They initially denied any other interactions. However, when Oluwunmi pointed out that Al-Ameen had been seen outside the school, his mother reluctantly admitted that he attended additional lessons at an Islamic school, ‘ILE-KEWU.’ Similarly, Kayla’s mother confirmed that Kayla was primarily in the care of Iya Kudi and only took food from her.
Oluwunmi pointed out that this contradiction suggested the children had multiple caregivers and environments where the alleged incidents could have occurred.
She added that in the two and a half years Al-Ameen had been at the school, his mother had picked him up only about 20 times. “Al-Ameen’s mother explicitly gave us permission to release him to a friend, who is also a parent of another pupil, near her shop to help with pick-ups,” she said. “Evidence of when she provided me with this woman’s details is available. I later learned that she instructed the woman to drop the boy off at the junction near her shop, leaving him to walk the rest of the way alone. Upon hearing this, I immediately called the woman and advised against it, as it could pose a risk. However, I am unsure how she handles his drop-offs now. There have even been times when I have spotted Al-Ameen playing around that area with other children. This is the extent to which his mother neglects his supervision,” Oluwunmi continued.
She further elaborated, “They claimed the children don’t mix anywhere outside of school. However, Al-Ameen’s grandmother had referred Kayla’s mother to the school in June 2024. Al-Ameen is sometimes left in the care of his mum and grandma’s shop assistants. In fact, on Wednesday, 5 March, I ran into one of his mum’s shop girls, seated opposite their shop. When I asked where Al-Ameen was, the shop girl said he had gone to a lesson. Upon further questioning, she corrected herself and said he had gone to ‘ILE-KEWU’.”
Reports also revealed that the parents had failed to report their concerns in a timely manner. Kayla had last attended school on 28 February, yet her mother raised the issue nearly two weeks later. Al-Ameen continued attending school until 7 March, and his mother had not mentioned any injuries during this period. The school management highlighted these delays as raising further doubts about the truth of the parents’ claims.
Oluwunmi explained that during the discussion, Kayla’s mother and Iya Kudi went upstairs to check the classroom. Upon their return, they reported that Kayla had pointed to none of the three teachers she had seen. She also mentioned that during this time, Kayla’s father made remarks that seemed to suggest ulterior motives unrelated to the children’s welfare, accusing the school of drawing students away from other institutions and spreading illnesses, claims which Oluwunmi categorically denied.
The parents requested CCTV footage from the school. However, a recurring issue with the DVR system had caused an ‘HDD EXEMPTION’ error. Despite this, Oluwunmi said she promptly contacted an engineer, and the issue was resolved by the evening of 11 March. Playback footage from 28 February showed the children to be active, uninjured, and showing no signs of distress.
“Additionally, evidence from my estate group chats confirms that there were power outages from 26 to 28 February, making it impossible to provide continuous CCTV coverage during that period,” she said.
The director further confirmed that the staff had inquired about the children’s wellbeing during their absences, but the parents had not raised any concerns at that time. “Kayla was initially absent from 11–14 February, and Al-Ameen had only been absent from school twice in the cycle—on 26 February and 11 March until the close of term. Our records show we asked after these two children. In fact, I called Kayla’s mum on 9 March, and she did not mention any mark on the child’s body.”
Oluwunmi continued, “In addition to these absences, the school typically observes a mid-cycle break every seventh week of the term, meaning both children were absent from 14–23 February. Kayla had already been absent since 11 February, before our break.”
She further affirmed, “Despite the growing contradictions in the parents’ claims, they continued to spread allegations about us, even sharing photos of their children’s marks with other parents. In response, we initiated an internal investigation, and the findings confirmed our stance that the marks did not occur on school grounds.”
When the Parents-Teachers Forum chairman spoke with Kayla’s father, he mentioned that he had only learned about the incision “four days ago,” meaning on 10 March, as their conversation took place on 14 March.
The school director stated that on 14 March, Kayla’s mother arrived with police officers, demanding statements from her and the teachers. She noted that the officers were cooperative and took the necessary statements. That same day, the police concluded that there was no evidence to suggest the marks had been inflicted at the school. “The police inspected the premises, checked all areas, and confirmed that the entire school was under camera surveillance. They conducted other investigations as well,” Oluwunmi said. By 17 March, the case had been transferred to court, with a hearing scheduled for 9 April. However, the school alleged that the parents were deliberately attempting to delay the legal process.
Subsequently, the Ogun State Ministry of Education intervened, visiting the school on 24 and 25 March. The school later claimed that on 27 March, ministry officials disrupted school activities and instructed pupils to vacate the premises.
“The school has always maintained a transparent approach to handling matters between teachers and pupils, ensuring fairness without bias. Every issue is addressed openly, with careful consideration for all parties involved, fostering an environment where truth and accountability take precedence over sentiment,” Oluwunmi stated.
The director emphasised that labelling her as defensive was akin to demanding she admit to something that never happened. “Standing by the truth is not an act of defiance, but a demonstration of integrity and an unwavering commitment to justice and fairness,” she maintained.
“Our school stands firm in its commitment to child safety and transparency. We have cooperated fully with the authorities and are confident that the facts will clear our name. Evidence at our disposal overwhelmingly confirms that the allegations were unfounded and possibly driven by ulterior motives. The upcoming court hearing will provide further clarity, as we remain dedicated to ensuring justice and protecting the reputation of our school,” Oluwunmi concluded.
