The management of a private school in the Arepo area of Ogun State, accused by parents of making incisions on two pupils, has strongly refuted the allegations and provided a detailed account of the incidents.

The director of the school, Abimbola Oluwunmi, said that on March 11, 2025, the controversy erupted when two parents, Mrs. Toyin Adurogboye and Mrs. Risikat Ishola, arrived at the school accompanied by other women, including Mrs. Alabi, the grandmother of Al-Ameen Ishola, and Iya Kudi, the minder of Kayla Adurogboye, claiming that their children, Al-Ameen, aged 5, and Kayla, aged 2 years and 8 months, had suspicious marks on their bodies. The parents alleged that these marks were the result of incisions inflicted at the school.

Upon being confronted, Oluwunmi immediately sought to understand the allegations. The parents stated that their children had mentioned an ‘aunty’ who instructed them to ‘bend down and put pepper on their backs.’ Oluwunmi, the school’s director, quickly pointed out that the school does not use the title ‘aunty’ for any staff members, which cast doubt on the children’s statements. When she questioned them directly, Kayla refused to speak, and her mother admitted she was unlikely to answer. Similarly, Al-Ameen claimed not to know anything about the alleged incident. She stated that the parents’ explanation that their children were ‘afraid’ raised concerns about whether they had been coached or influenced in their statements.

The director then asked the parents whether their children had been anywhere else besides the school. She said they initially denied any other interactions. However, when Oluwunmi pointed out that Al-Ameen had been seen outside school, the mother reluctantly admitted that he attended additional lessons at an Islamic school (‘ILE-KEWU’). Similarly, she stated that Kayla’s mother had always maintained that Kayla was always in Iya Kudi’s care and only took food from her.

Oluwunmi said this contradiction suggested that the children had multiple caregivers and environments where the alleged incidents could have occurred.

She claimed that in the two and a half years Al-Ameen has been in the school, his mother has picked him up only about 20 times. She said Al-Ameen’s mother explicitly gave us permission to release him to a friend, who is also a parent of another pupil in the school, near her shop who helps with pick-ups.

“Evidence of when she provided me with this woman’s details is available. I later learned that she instructed the woman to drop the boy off at the junction near her shop, leaving him to walk the rest of the way alone. Upon hearing this, I immediately called the woman and advised her against it, as it could pose a risk. However, I am unsure how she handles his drop-offs now. There have even been times when I have spotted Al-Ameen playing around that area with other children.This is the extent to which his mother neglects his supervision.” She expressed.

In her narration, “They said the children don’t mingle anywhere else outside of the school. As a matter of fact, Al-Ameen’s grandma referred Kayla’s mum to the school in June 2024. I said that can’t be true, that how about times when Al-Ameen is left in the care of his mum and grandma’s shop girls? As a matter of fact, on Wednesday, March 5, the previous week, I ran into Al-Ameen’s mum’s shop girl, seated opposite their shop. Because I had initially passed by Al-Ameen’s mum on the road, I had no choice but to ask the shop girl where Al-Ameen was, and she answered that he had gone to lesson. When I repeated the word lesson twice, then the shop girl restated that it was not a lesson but ‘ILE-KEWU’ that he had gone to.”

Further reports revealed that the parents had failed to report their concerns in a timely manner. Kayla had last attended school on February 28, yet her mother only raised the issue nearly two weeks later. Al-Ameen continued attending school until March 7, and his mother had not mentioned any injuries during this time. These delays in reporting, the school management said, raised additional doubts about the veracity of the parents’ claims.

Oluwunmi said that while the matters were being discussed, Kayla’s mother and Iya Kudi then went upstairs to check the classroom. Upon their return, they reported that Kayla had pointed to none of the three teachers she had seen. She noted that during this time, Kayla’s father was called, and he made remarks that hinted at motives unrelated to the children’s health, suggesting that their school was drawing students away from other schools and spreading illnesses, a claim Oluwunmi said she firmly refuted.

The parents requested CCTV footage from the school. Unfortunately, a recurring issue with the DVR system had caused an ‘HDD EXEMPTION’ error. Despite this, Oluwunmi said she promptly contacted an engineer to fix the system. The technician resolved the issue by the evening of March 11, and playback footage from February 28 revealed that the children were active, uninjured, and showed no signs of distress.

“Additionally, evidence from my estate group chats can confirm that there had been power outages from February 26 to 28, making it impossible for continuous CCTV coverage during the entire period.” She said.

The director said the staff also inquired about the children’s well-being during their absences, yet the parents did not report any concerns at that time. She expressed that “Kayla was initially absent on the 11th-14th of February, and Al-Ameen had only been absent from school twice in the cycle, on the 26th of February and March 11th till the close of term, and records showed we asked after these two children. As a matter of fact, I called Kayla’s mum on the 9th of March, and she did not mention any mark on the child’s body.

“In addition to these days of absence, the school normally observes its mid-cycle break every 7th week of the term. This means both kids were absent from February 14th to February 23rd. And, Kayla had already been absent since February 11th, before our break.”

She further affirmed that “despite noticing the mounting contradictions in the parents’ claims, they continued to spread allegations about us, even sharing photos of their children’s marks with other parents. In response, we initiated an internal investigation, and results confirmed our stance that the incisions did not occur on school grounds.

When the Parents-Teachers Forum chairman engaged Kayla’s father, he stated that he learned about the incision ‘four days ago,’ meaning on March 10th, as their conversation took place on March 14th.”

The school director stated that on March 14, Kayla’s mother arrived with police officers, demanding statements from her and the teachers. She noted that the officers were cooperative and took the necessary statements. That same day, she also mentioned that the police gave their verdict, stating that there was no evidence suggesting the incision came from the school. She confirmed that law enforcement officers inspected the premises, checked all the nooks and crannies, and verified that the entire school was under camera surveillance, in addition to other investigations they carried out. By March 17, the case was transferred to the court, which scheduled a hearing for April 9. But the school alleged that the parents are actively working to delay legal proceedings.

Subsequently, the Ogun State Ministry of Education intervened, visiting the school on March 24 and again on March 25. Then, on March 27, ministry officials were alleged by the school to have disrupted school activities and asked pupils to vacate the premises.

“The school has always upheld a transparent approach in handling matters between teachers and pupils, ensuring fairness without bias. Every issue is addressed openly, with careful consideration for all parties, fostering an environment where truth and accountability take precedence over sentiment.” Oluwunmi said.

The director emphasised that labeling her as defensive is equivalent to demanding she admit to something that never happened. She maintained that “standing by the truth is not an act of defiance but a demonstration of integrity and an unwavering commitment to justice and fairness.”

“Our school stands firm in its commitment to child safety and transparency. The school has cooperated fully with authorities and remains confident that the facts will clear its name. Evidence at our disposal overwhelmingly confirms that the allegations were unfounded and possibly driven by ulterior motives. The upcoming court hearing will provide further clarity as we remain dedicated to ensuring justice and protecting the reputation of our school.” Oluwunmi concluded.