The Delta State Government has shut down Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School, Asaba, after son of the school proprietress and teacher, Emeka Nwogbo allegedly flogged a 19-month-old pupil, Obina Udeze, to death.
WITHIN NIGERIA had reported that Obina was hospitalised after he was given 31 strokes of the cane for playing with water on Monday.
Obina was taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba where he eventually died on Saturday morning, February 12.
Speaking with PUNCH, the state Commissioner for Primary Education, Mr Chika Ossai, on Sunday said that the government had shut down the school.
He said, “Yes, this (Sunday) morning, the government swung into action and sealed the school. Secondly, it is not an approved school.
“The proprietress and the son are in police custody. So, the state government is very serious about the incident and we will follow it to the end to make sure that those operating illegal schools are dealt with properly.
“It is easier to monitor registered schools, but for those illegal ones, we will continue to close them down.”
While frowning on the incident, Ossai urged school operators to be mindful of the way they treated their pupils.