The
head teacher of a private school in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has been arrested for allegedly sexually
defiling his six-year-old pupil.
The
suspect, Shedrach Ozoemena Nwekeagu (30), was arrested by operatives of the National
Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The
Head, Press and Public Relations Unit, NAPTIP, Stella Nezan, said that the
victim’s father reported the matter to NAPTIP.
The
father dashed to NAPTIP after his little girl started complaining of
stomachache and he noticed bloodstains on her underwear after she returned from
school.
Nezan
said: “Upon enquiry, she informed her parents that Nwekeagu had inserted his
finger into her vagina the previous week, and a week later, he brutally raped
her in the classroom after school hours while they waited to be picked up by
their parents.
“Some
teachers in the school also informed NAPTIP that they had their suspicions
about Nwekeagu sexually molesting pupils in the school, but were afraid of
speaking out because the suspect is a relative of the proprietress of the school,
and they were afraid they would lose their jobs.”
The
Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli, condemned in strong terms,
the alleged rape, and assured members of the public that the suspect would be
thoroughly prosecuted under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act,
2015.
She
cautioned school proprietors to, “Ensure they run a background check on the
teacher they employ to teach the children, so as to avoid horrible incidents
such as this.”
Okah-Donli
added: “It is quite unfortunate that the teacher, who is meant to guide and
shield a pupil is the one who ends up molesting the child.”
The
NAPTIP boss also encouraged members of the public to be vigilant and observe
any lewd act being meted towards any child, and not to hesitate in reporting
such to NAPTIP for investigations.
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