THE Child’s Rights Agency under the Office of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has confirmed the inauguration of a committee to investigate the alleged sexual assault on 14 pupils of Central Primary School, Karabonde, New Bussa, in Borgu Local Government Area by a teacher, Usman (surname withheld).
It was gathered that apart from defiling the schoolchildren, the teacher also allegedly infected them with HIV. Nigerian Tribune gathered that the suspect is currently being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the state police command in Minna.
It was further gathered that the committee is to be headed by the Commissioner for Education in the state, Hajiya Hanatu Jibrin Salihu.
Other members of the committee include the Director, Child’s Rights Protection Agency, Hajia Maryam Kolo; the commissioner for women affairs and the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB).
A source familiar with the development told Nigerian Tribune that after the police might have concluded their investigation, the suspect, who was said to have confessed to the crime, would be brought before the committee for further questioning.
The source said: “The committee is travelling to Borgu today [Sunday] on a four-day fact-finding mission on the matter. The development is so pathetic.”
The suspect, who has been placed on an indefinite suspension by SUBEB, was accused of sexual assault on the 14 primary schoolgirls.
He was alleged to have confessed to the crime before a committee earlier constituted by the Borgu Local Government Council’s education secretary last week.
Efforts to get the reaction of the commissioner for education proved abortive as her phone was not connecting, while text messages sent to her did not deliver as well. However, spokesperson for the state’s police command, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the arrest of the suspect.
Abiodun, while speaking to Nigerian Tribune, said the suspect was still undergoing investigation at the police command headquarters in Minna.
He said the suspect had initially absconded when the news of his misdeeds with the female schoolchildren were exposed, but was later arrested by police operatives in Borgu and transferred to Minna.
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CLAIM 1: A Twitter user claims UNICEF said any efforts to block children from accessing pornography might infringe their human rights.
VERDICT: MISLEADING!
and then