•6 students misbehaved in Dubai

•Headteacher, parents, others fail to show up at SCID

•Whizkid’s babymama gives account of Dubai trip

•As stakeholders fault closure of Chrisland Schools

By Adesina Wahab, Funmi Ajumobi, Elizabeth Osayande & Efe Onodjae

THE management of Chrisland Schools, Lagos, yesterday, said it did not conduct pregnancy test on any of its students that attended the World School Games in Dubai, UAE, last month.

Rather, the management said it only conducted the COVID-19 test on the students, when they returned from the said trip, following laid down protocols on the pandemic.

Recall that the social media was awash with comments about the alleged rape of one of the students by some of her male colleagues while in Dubai.

The Lagos State Government has shut down all campuses of the school and initiated a probe into the incident.

The school has since suspended the student for what it described as an immoral act.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has invited all parties involved in the alleged sexual abuse of a 10-year-old pupil.

Similarly, one of the babymamas of popular Nigerian musician, Ayodeji Balogun, aka Whizkid, Shola Ogunro, has given an account of her experience on the trip to Dubai by students of Chrisland Schools, Lagos.

Also, stakeholders in the education sector have faulted the closure of all campuses of Chrisland Schools by the Lagos State Government, saying dealing with the identified errant students would have been more appropriate.

6 students misbehaved in Dubai

A statement by a member of the Advisory Board of the school, Mr. Akin Fadeyi, said out of the 77 students who represented the school at the event, only six were involved in acts unbecoming of them.

The statement reads: “We have followed up on reports making the rounds on certain developments bordering on the morals and ethics of some of the students under our care, who represented the school at the World Schools Games in Dubai, between March 8 and 14, 2022.

“While we understand the emotions this has generated, we assure the public that our first approach as an institution was to assume parental roles by offering support to those involved and ensuring that nothing affected their senses of esteem.

• READ ALSO: Chrisland Scandal: Social media goes haywire with minors’ s3x videos

“However, after a comprehensive evaluation of the situation, we cannot help but express how scandalised and distressed we feel as mothers, fathers and instructors with a relationship that holds a direct bearing on the development of those involved.

“Nonetheless, we took a critical view of the number of students who partook in this recent trip and who did the school proud in our quest to expand the horizons of our students holistically through global exposure, which takes into account a wholesome development of the mind, body and spirit through sporting engagements. “Of the 76 children who represented Chrisland, 71 ensured adherence to our standards, abiding with laid down regulations and code of conduct, while doing us very proud in the process. Within these 71, we kept our girls on the 11th floor and boys on the 4th floor to draw clear lines that respect moral boundaries.”

 We didn’t conduct pregnancy test on any student

“We are proud to reassure our stakeholders that no rape of anyone or the administration of a pregnancy test on any child took place on our watch. For emphasis, only a COVID post-travel test was conducted on the returning delegation of our students, in compliance with COVID-19 travel protocols, at the Life Centre Medical Services on March 21, 2022, at School Hall, Opebi.

“This was through the nose swab test as consistent with COVID-19 health protocols. We trust that this can be verified at the source provided. To insinuate that a pregnancy test was carried out on a student, for whatever reason, therefore, is a highly unfortunate conjecture.

“Nevertheless, our processes would be readily opened up for the scrutiny of regulators and stakeholders at the earliest indication of this, to enable the course of scientific or forensic inspections. We are certain this will lay to rest any shred of doubt or hazy optic that the present flurry of activities might have occasioned.”

Headteacher, parents, others fail to report at SCID Panti

Following the scandal, the Lagos State Police Command has invited all parties involved in the alleged sexual abuse of a 10-year-old pupil of Chrisland Schools located in the Victoria Garden City area of the state.

The Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said that all parties involved in the matter have been directed to report to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.

Giving an update on the matter, Hundeyin said: “All the parties involved have been invited to the State Criminal Investigation Department Panti today (yesterday) to give a written statement and further questioning will be done.”

But as of press time yesterday, the parents, teachers and some administrative staff of the school, failed to show up at the SCID.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the school later placed a call to the SCID, explaining that those invited would not be able to make it because they got the invitation late.

A new appointment was fixed for today.

Whizkid’s Babymama gives account of Dubai trip

But one of Whizkid’s babymama, Shola Ogunro, who gave an account of her experience on the trip to Dubai by students of Chrisland Schools, Lagos, said she accompanied her son, Tife, a student of the school on the trip, adding that it appeared that a clique of students from the school deliberately engaged in nasty activities.

She wrote: “I accompanied my son to represent his school at the just concluded WSG and I can say for a fact that the 10-year-old in question was not raped. I remember vividly the shock on my son’s face when he was telling me about a video some other kid was watching, he said Mum, I couldn’t stand the video I had to excuse myself, he said the gist circulating was that the girl and her clique played a game of truth or dare, of which this particular girl couldn’t stop with the mind bugging dares. I couldn’t believe my ears when I learned about the nasty activities these little kids get themselves involved in.

“The students were in a hotel where other schools also stayed and they made sure the boys’ room was on the 10th floor and the girls’ room 2nd floor.

“The teachers did their parade 3-5 times daily making sure they were all in their rooms. There were over 70 kids to 5-6 teachers (these teachers went through hell trying to get them together).”

Stakeholders fault closure of Chrisland Schools

Meanwhile, mixed reactions have greeted the closure of all campuses of the Chrisland Schools by the Lagos State Government, saying dealing with the identified errant students would have been more appropriate.

Some stakeholders in the education sector also faulted the series of tests reportedly carried out on the female student at the centre of the crisis.

 A legal practitioner, Mrs Helen Essien, wondered why the government would shut down a whole school because of the misdemeanour of a few students.

 Essien said: “Why did the government shut down a whole school because three or four children misbehaved? Doesn’t Chrisland have a school discipline policy and procedures? Why punish innocent pupils?”

 Another respondent, Ezinne Njoku-Obi, said: “Why punish innocent pupils? Why shut down about seven or eight of the schools in the group? Will that solve the problem? Should such a matter be publicized knowing minors are involved?”

 Similarly, Omolola Davis said: “The only fault of the school is the alleged cover-up. Closing all annexes of Chrisland schools is unfair. For it wasn’t a murder case. It didn’t happen on the school premises. It wasn’t a rape case. Didn’t they consider the remaining many students and employees?

On his part, Obo Effanga said: “Why not hold the school officials to account for their poor supervision of the children during the trip rather than shut down the school and punish other innocent children from continuing with the school work?

Ibuoye Bunmi Afolabi: “I don’t blame the government for closing down the school. Chrisland had a saga where one Mr Adegboyega defiled a two-year-old girl and was sentenced to 60 years imprisonment. Now another one has happened.

 “What happened to their policy on Safe School Initiative? Chrisland should have learned a lesson from the previous one.”

Child Protection Network faults pregnancy test

Meanwhile, the Child Protection Network, an initiative of UNICEF in Lagos State berated Chrisland College for allegedly subduing a 10-year-old girl to psychological torture in their investigation into the matter.

 President of the organisation, Mrs Ronke Oyelakin, said carrying out a pregnancy test on a minor without the parents’ consent is absurd and against the rights of the child.

Oyelakin said: “Why would you run a pregnancy test? What measure was put in place in getting professional help with extensive discussion in helping the children involved?

 “Having a Child Safeguarding and Protection Policy is not enough, but ensuring implementation at all levels. All agencies and stakeholders have to brace up and see to preventing this act in future.”