Staff members at Erhavwe Secondary School in Delta State have spoken out regarding a violent assault that occurred on May 14. The Vice Principal, Lucky Otuaga, Maths instructor Charles Ovwigho, and Education Committee Chairman Edematie Sunday described how a student, Deborah Kazeem, allegedly brought a group of men to the campus to retaliate after her phone was confiscated for classroom distractions.
During the altercation, which was captured on video, the teachers were physically assaulted. Mr. Ovwigho, who reported having his glasses broken during the chaos, explained that the conflict began after he seized a phone from the student because she was using it to watch videos during his lesson. When he requested her mathematics notebook to check her work, she reportedly attempted to pass off another student’s notebook as her own.
Both Mr. Otuaga and Mr. Ovwigho strongly denied rumors circulating in the community regarding improper sexual advances, noting that Mr. Ovwigho had only joined the school staff on May 5. The school has a strict policy, backed by the government and the Parents Teachers Association, that prohibits students from bringing mobile phones onto the premises.
The incident led to an indefinite suspension for the student and a legal case at the magistrate’s court in Agbarho. While two of the assailants were initially arrested, school authorities and community leaders are currently exploring an out-of-court settlement ahead of a court date scheduled for the 29th of this month.
