The recent bullying in the Lead British International School, Abuja, has brought to the fore the rising cases of bullying in Nigerian secondary schools. In one of the viral videos, a female student was slapped repeatedly by another female student over her refusal to answer inappropriate questions about school relationship. While the bullying was going on, some of her colleagues watched and recorded the dastardly act. In another one, a male student was beaten by another student. In all these, the school authorities failed to act and even feigned ignorance of the atrocities.
Following public outcry over the ugly incident, the school was shut temporarily by the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye. Many Nigerians have called for a full investigation of the matter. Apart from condemning the brutal bullying of the student, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for a thorough investigation of the matter to ascertain the root cause of the matter.
“The alarming incident, which has attracted widespread condemnation across the country is a matter of concern that borders on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, respect for the dignity of human person as well as learning in a safe and protected environment,” the NHRC stated. This incident should not be swept under the carpet like others before it.
We recall the case of Sylvester Oromoni, a student of Dowen College, Lagos, who reportedly died in November 30, 2021 following multiple injuries associated with bullying by his senior colleagues. From what the victim told his parents before death, he was beaten by a cult group in the school and fed with a chemical for refusing to join them. The case has seemingly ended without justice for Oromoni. Before Oromoni’s case, one Don Davis, a Junior Secondary School student of Deeper Life High School, Uyo, was in 2020 physically and sexually molested by his seniors and starved by the school authorities for bedwetting.
He reportedly died in December 2020. His ordeal became known through a video posted by her mother, Deborah Okezie. Sadly, there was no justice for Davis. There are indeed many other cases of bullying in Nigerian secondary schools. Unfortunately, many of them are unreported. Bullying is very common in Nigeria’s secondary school system. Although bullying occurs in primary schools but it is more rampant in secondary schools, especially those with boarding facilities.
According to the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO), “school bullying is a damaging social process that is characterised by an imbalance of power driven by social (societal) and institutional norms. It is often repeated and manifests as unwanted interpersonal behavior among students or school personnel that causes physical, social, and emotional harm to the targeted individuals or groups, and the wider school community.” It says that every month, one in three learners is bullied at school globally. Over 36 per cent of learners experience a physical fight with their peers and almost one in three has been physically attacked at least once in a year.
To curb bullying, UNESCO enjoins that “together, we can deepen our understanding and address not only the behavior but also the underlying systems and ideologies supporting bullying.” Both the federal and state ministries of education should devise ways to end bullying in Nigerian schools before it assumes an epidemic proportion.
We condemn the bullying in the Lead British International School, Abuja and call on the school authorities to instill discipline in the school. They must also ensure that the victims get justice by adequately punishing the perpetrators of such cruelty and abuse of human rights. No doubt, bullying has become rife in our schools because of inadequate supervision of these schools by government.
We also lament the erosion of cultural values and rising moral decadence in Nigerian secondary schools. Perhaps it is a reflection of the collapse of discipline in the larger Nigerian society. Inadequate supervision of these schools by the ministry of education might be responsible for the resurgence of bullying in our schools.
This incident should not be taken lightly. It should be thoroughly investigated by the school authorities. Appropriate sanctions should be imposed on the perpetrators to deter others from doing so. It is worth pointing out that the victims of bullying might grow up to hate the society or develop an aggressive psyche later in life. That is why they need adequate counseling and psycho-therapy to overcome the trauma associated with bullying.
Therefore, it is pertinent for parents to inculcate discipline in their children and wards. Sometimes, bullies are products of broken homes. They often see bullying as the norm. We enjoin school authorities to organise bully prevention programmes for their teachers and students. There must be rules on discipline that teachers and students of each school should comply with.