In this interview, Mr Gbeminiyi Arijo, father of the late Ogun SS 2 student who died recently after allegedly receiving 40 strokes of cane and doing about 150 frog jumps, recounted the tragic incident to BANKOLE TAIWO, demanding a thorough investigation as well as justice and support for the family

Could you introduce yourself?

I am Gbeminiyi Arijo, the father of Monday, the SS2 student of Obada Grammar School, Obada, Idi-Emi, who died recently and was buried today. I am 54 years old.

What do you do for a living?

I am into farming; I plant cassava, maize and others.

What can you say about the tragic incident involving your son, Monday?

We were told that while on the assembly that fateful morning of October 15, the principal told the students not to henceforth throw trash or waste just anywhere, warning them to avoid the usual indiscriminate disposal of waste but to use the dustbin she had just purchased for the school. While the principal was talking, a student, apparently suspected to be from the SS2 class, was said to have remarked, ?Is it not with our money that you bought these waste baskets?? This comment was said to have really infuriated the principal and because no one was coming out as the culprit, the principal ordered the teachers to cane the children. The children told us that the teachers involved were 10. Each of them gave the female students two strokes each, meaning that each female student received 20 canes, the boys were given four canes each, meaning that each of the boys received 40 canes. Some old tyres were fixed to the ground around their school, so when the teachers wanted to beat these students, they asked them to put their heads inside any of these tyres and once they were in that position, it was like they had been trapped while being flogged. Will anyone call this kind of treatment discipline or outright wickedness and sheer brutality to the kids entrusted into the hands of these teachers for care?

So, it was not a case of just being given two strokes of the cane as we heard?

No, the teachers involved, according to what the children told us, were 10, with each giving four strokes of cane to each of the boys, while the girls got two each. So, while the boys got 40 strokes in total, the girls were given 20 strokes each. And after giving them such numbers of canes, which we were even told was not the problem, they were asked again to embark on frog jumps. My late son was said to have completed the first and second rounds of 50 frog jumps totalling 100, and was on the third round of 50 frog jumps when he collapsed. He, apparently hit his head against the concrete of the school when he collapsed and he had bruises on his face and forehead. One of the teachers was even said to be kicking him when he collapsed, saying that he (Monday) was only pretending and at this time, he was already foaming while his eyes had changed and dilated.

We gathered that it was one of the teachers looking at the scene afar off who came around to caution that teacher, telling him that the boy was not pretending. Having been convinced that something was really wrong with the boy, the teachers were said to have removed his clothes and started pouring water on him. The teachers then sent his other brother, James, who is in the same class as him, to go home and bring other clothes for him. More than 70 students were said to have been subjected to this horrendous punishment and some of them are still being taken care of by their parents.

It was James who alerted Monday?s mother to what happened, after which I was also called and that was how we went to bring him home. I am surprised that the teachers said that he was involved in a motorcycle accident that morning or before he was beaten and made to serve such ruthless punishment. It is a fabricated lie and so shameful of those peddling such falsehood around. This was someone who did not even know how to ride a motorcycle; they are all senseless lies and an attempt to cover up their wrongdoing.

So, what happened next?

When his mother got to the school and found out that her son was in a critical condition, she called me and I sent for one of my children to bring them on a motorcycle. Monday, who left home some hours earlier, hale and hearty, could barely walk; we had to support him to bring him into the house. He held on to his head and was only complaining of a headache. I thought it was something not too serious and that we would take care of him and everything would be fine. I never knew that when he fell and hit his head against the concrete, he got a head injury. So, after four days, I had to go and meet them in the school to report that it was very unfair for them to have refused to ask for my son knowing fully well that he collapsed under their watch while being given a very gruelling punishment. I told them that we had not slept since the incident yet the school never deemed it right to check on him. I told them that all the teachers and the principal of the school would be held liable should anything happen to my son. I later took the boy to Ayetoro for treatment; we came back three days later, yet the boy was still complaining of a headache.

Was that place a hospital?

It was not, but we bought drugs for him; we thought maybe it was a spiritual attack that could not be handled with orthodox medicine. However, after returning from that place and he was still complaining of a headache, we took him to one hospital, from there we took him to another hospital in the community, which was owned by Dr Ayorinde, the Chairman of the Parent Teacher Association of the school. It was while we were there that the school came to check on us. After spending three days in the hospital, the doctor called me and referred us to the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta. When we got to the hospital, we were told to go and do a scan test of his head and when they saw the result, they said it wasn?t what they could handle, so we were referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, where my son, Monday died on October 25.

So, there is no truth to what some people said that your son was involved in a motorcycle accident before the school punishment?

They are all lies; they are only looking for a cover up but God will judge all of the people spreading such falsehoods. Monday was never involved in any okada accident other than the fact that he collapsed while being unjustly punished; he hit his head against the concrete, causing him a head injury, after which he died despite all our efforts to save his life. I leave everything to God.

What about the autopsy report?

We have not received or heard anything about that; it was the police that called me about seven days ago that we should go and bury the boy but we said that we wanted to hear the result of the autopsy because we would not want a situation where after we had buried him, they would come up with another thing. What we heard was that the report should be out after three or four days, but we have begun to hear that the autopsy report can take up to three months. However, the Commissioner of Police and his deputy have continued to call as well as some government officials, urging us to go ahead with the burial and assuring us that there won?t be any problem. So, we just buried the child today, Thursday, November 7. Autopsy report or not, what happened remains irreversible, so we have left everything for God as Christians that we are. I am not ready to pursue any court case on this or what will that change? Absolutely nothing.

What kind of a son was Monday and the relationship between the two of you?

Monday was very useful to me; he was an adorable child to the entire family. He was not a troublesome child; he was a very focused child. For instance, when he finished his primary school, I told him that things weren?t smooth for me financially, that I might not be able to sponsor his education further; that he should please find a vocation to learn. Monday, however, refused. He said that he must go to school; he explained that how do I expect him to take good care of me in old age if he did not go to school or how much of the farming work will I be able to do at that age. He went as far as reporting me to my elder brother, that I didn?t want him to go to school. We discussed the issue and I agreed to his request and the school can also testify that he was doing fine in his studies. He was not someone to be found at the wrong place, so humble and very loving. It is, however, unfortunate that those he trusted with his education were the ones who hindered him from attaining his educational pursuit. If I had known that you were coming I would have gathered about four or five of his friends to come around and tell you what sort of a boy he was.

How old was Monday?

He was 18

How do you feel about the whole incident?

I feel terribly bad, I am disappointed and it hurts me to the marrow. His mother and I have not ceased crying day and night since we lost him. It was a terrible blow to the family; we never saw it coming, but we believe it is well with the family.

Did he share any of his life ambitions with you?

Very well; he always told me that he could see my toiling and sacrifice for them all but that he would soon repay me after his education. He promised to get me a very befitting house and everything that would make me forget my toiling of the past but all of that has gone with the winds. He always said that he was not going to stop after his secondary education, that he would go to the university, and that if he had to get something done to support himself to do all of that, he would do it. He had very beautiful plans for me but those teachers have allowed the devil to use them to truncate all the wonderful plans. I am yet to come to terms with the evil punishment they subjected these innocent children to or how will you give a child 40 canes and still make him do 150 frog jumps? I have never heard that in my life. It is so painful but what can we do? We have left everything to God because one day too, each of us will die and we shall give our account before the one who created all of us.

What is your demand from the government?

The government should do something to immortalise Monday; something that the family will never forget for the rest of their life. Here was a boy who had beautiful plans for his father, mother, and siblings but he left us untimely, they never allowed him to fulfill his dreams.

I must thank the governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun, for his support since the news broke about this tragic incident. The governor has sent down about four delegations to condole and mourn with us. We sincerely appreciate him and pray that no evil shall befall him and his family too. Whatever the government can do to assist me will be appreciated. The siblings are there and their mother, they have had a series of meetings with us but we hope and pray that they will walk the talk.

What is your counsel to both the teachers and the government on matters of discipline in schools?

The teachers will have to be very careful and apply wisdom in all that they do. I believe that they are also parents and no parent sent his or her children to be killed or deformed; the government said it has equally warned teachers about corporal punishment, that such should not be applied to children. I hope that the teachers will take vital lessons from this tragic incident and be more responsible. The government should do a lot more in monitoring these teachers and sensitising them. For instance, in this Obada Grammar School where my son was attending, the children told us that every morning the teachers would buy lots of actions bitter, made of alcohol, and would have taken enough of it in the morning before teaching commences, all of these should be checked. We all know how people under the influence of alcohol misbehave. The government must look into this pure act of illegality and sheer irresponsibility.

The government shut the school when it was attacked?

No, there was nothing like that; the school was never attacked. I told everyone not to do that because that won?t bring back my dead son. I am even using this opportunity to call on the government to reopen the school; we have left everything to God who knows how to handle every situation. We sincerely plead that the government should let the children continue with their education. However, we have not seen the government doing justice to the teachers involved. The students said 10 teachers were involved but it is only one teacher that was arrested; they said some have run away; we definitely want the government to address that area. (Saturday PUNCH)

Update news