Daud Olatunji
A student from Obada Community High School in Ogun State, identified as Ariyo Monday, has reportedly died following complications after being disciplined with two strokes of a cane.
Conflicting accounts over the circumstances of his death have sparked public outcry and controversy, with accusations and clarifications from school authorities, the teachers’ union, and bloggers.
Earlier reports, including a widely circulated video by blogger Just Adetoun, claimed that the student had died after being subjected to 164 strokes of the cane by a teacher, allegedly under orders from the principal, Mrs. Onalapo.
The video, which showed Ariyo critically ill in a hospital bed, further claimed that students were made to perform 162 frog jumps as part of the punishment, which allegedly led to his fatal condition.
However, Dr. Felix Agbesanwa, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) in Ogun State, dismissed these claims in a statement to PLATFORM TIMES.
According to Agbesanwa, the deceased student did not receive 164 lashes but was, in fact, given only two strokes of the cane, as were all SS2 students present at the school assembly that day.
He also clarified that the student’s death was not a result of the punishment but rather linked to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident the day before.
“The students insulted the principal, and she instructed that all SS2 students receive two strokes of the cane,” Agbesanwa explained.
“The deceased student was one of those punished, but he had already sustained injuries from an earlier motorcycle accident.
He was not the only one who received the punishment, and his death was not caused by the flogging.”
Agbesanwa further disclosed that the student had shown signs of illness shortly after the punishment, beginning to vomit before being rushed to a hospital.
In efforts to save his life, the principal reportedly paid over N500,000 in medical expenses, including fees at a general hospital and the Federal Medical Centre.
The student’s underlying health issues, however, are believed to have complicated his condition.
The controversy began when the principal, addressing students during the assembly, announced that waste baskets had been provided for students, a move that allegedly led to some students murmuring that the baskets had been funded with their own money.
Upset by the lack of respect, the principal reportedly instructed that the SS2 students be disciplined collectively, as the specific student behind the comment could not be identified.
While the teachers’ union maintains that the punishment was minimal, the viral claims have continued to generate criticism and debate online, with many Nigerians questioning the culture of corporal punishment in schools.
Some have called for an investigation into the incident, pressing authorities for more transparency regarding student discipline and the conditions leading up to the tragic death.
Attempts to get reactions from the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, failed as he had not responded to the messages sent to his mobile as of the time of filing this report .
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