Following his escapades with the underage, a middle-aged Grade two teacher, Usman Galadima, has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for defiling 14 pupils of Central Primary School Karabonde, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
This is as the Niger State Government has constituted a Committee to investigate the incident as he is said to have infected the children with the dreaded HIV, an allegation not yet verified.
The state Child Rights Agency, Director General, Mariam Kolo had last week confirmed the incident.
The Committee set up by the government is to be headed by the state Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Hanatu Jibrin Salihu.
Others are the Director, Child Right Protection Agency, and the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), among others, in the state.
A top source told our correspondent that as soon as the state CID was done with interrogation, the accused would be brought before the Committee for further questioning.
According to the source, “the Committee is travelling today (Sunday) to Borgu on a four-day facts-finding mission on the matter. The development is so pathetic.”
After the incident, the girls were said to have been taken to the hospital where it was discovered that the teacher who molested them was HIV positive.
A source whose relatives are among the abused pupils disclosed that the families of the victims were worried the children might not get justice as it appeared some elders in the community were trying to protect the accused.
Galadima who has already been suspended from work by the state SUBEB for allegedly assaulting the 14 girls sexually had confessed to the crime before a Committee constituted by the Councils’ Education Secretary, last week.
One of the parents said Galadima was reported in July when two female pupils summoned the courage to report him to the head teacher for molesting them sexually.
She said “the pupils were afraid to speak earlier after Galadima threatened to kill them if they dare mention to anyone what he did to them.”
The case, it was gathered, was later reported to the headmaster of the school, Mallam Abdullahi Toure, by Hajiya Maimunat after which the accused teacher was summoned.
The state Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Hanatu Jibrin Salihu, could not be reached for reaction to the development.
Confirming the arrest of the suspect, the state Police command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun said the suspect was with the Command over the allegations of sexual assault.
According to him, the suspect initially disappeared, but was later arrested and transferred to Minna by the DPO of Borgu Divisional Police Station. (The Eagle online)
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