…drops Sanwo-Olu’s name, shares nudes with victims
Juliana Francis
A teacher in a Lagos school has been accused of sleeping with schoolgirls and sharing nude pictures with them.
The teacher, identified as Mr. Openiyi, teaches at a senior secondary school in the Isolo area of the Lagos metropolis. However, members of the Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network (ACVPN) have urged the Lagos State Ministry of Education to launch an investigation into the allegations against Openiyi.
His activities were discovered when inspectors, on routine visitation, went to the school and asked the students to tell them their challenges. One of Openiyi’s victims wrote on a paper that a certain male teacher was in the habit of beating and sexually violating girls. She passed the written note to one of the inspectors and all hell was let loose.
Everyone had thought that the discovery of the abuse would bring them justice, but the case took a bad turn when some influential people started working to sweep it under the carpet. It was learnt that a member of the school, who was not comfortable with the way justice was about to be truncated, alerted ACVPN. Openiyi was employed in 2015 as a Data Analyst and Entry Officer through the office of the former Tutor General/Permanent Secretary (TGPS). The Secretary of ACVPN, Comrade Ebenezer Omajalile, said: “Openiyi commands a lot of respect and is dreaded by all due to the fact that he often used to boast that he has relationship with the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. “According to teachers and students in the school, Openiyi was fond of taking laws into his hands and often boasted to the hearing of people that he was a member of a cult group.”
In 2019, Openiyi reportedly ordered each student to come with a cane despite the zero tolerance in Lagos State Ministry of Education for students being flogged. “It was also alleged that Openiyi had been molesting girls in the school since 2015. His misdeeds finally caught up with him,” said Omajalile.
He explained: “Recently inspectors of Education visited the school and they had an interactive session with the students. They asked the students to say whatever challenges they were facing in the cause of their study. An SSS 3 female student wrote in a sheet of paper that she was being constantly sexually abused by a teacher. She mentioned the name of Openiyi. “Somehow, Openiyi got wind of the report against him and quickly informed one of the teachers in the school to collect the phones of three female students, including the aforementioned girl. Openiyi deleted information on the three girls’ phones, including nude pictures he exchanged with them.”
Openiyi was, however, unaware that the girls had earlier printed out the messages and nude pictures exchanged with him. Our reporter learnt that Openiyi suggested to another teacher in the school that the phones of the girls should be held until they each come to the school with a full pack of markers.
The girl, who reported him, refused. Omajalile said: “When Openiyi heard that, he called the girl and beat her mercilessly. He was also accused of kicking and dragging her on the floor, attracting the attention of other teachers in the school, who ran to intervene.” The girl reported the beating to her father, who is the current chairman of the Parents’ Forum of the school.
The angry father reported the incident to the TGPS Education District Six, Oshodi- Isolo Office. TGPS sent for Openiyi and the principal of the school. At the TGPS’s office, the girl opened a can of worms, revealing how the teacher had been sexually violating her and other female students. Openiyi denied her allegations, claiming such things never happened.
The girl brought out printed messages. This evidence made TGPS officials seize Openiyi’s phone and after checking his messages, it was discovered that the girl’s story was true. Realising that the game was up, Openiyi pleaded for mercy. It was also further alleged that the girl’s father has been intimidated and asked to stop pursuing the matter further.
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