What We Know About The Bullying Incident At Lead British School

On Tuesday 23 April, a Twitter user @mooyeeeee posted a video seeking justice for a female student of Lead British International School, Abuja, who was seen being assaulted by some of her schoolmates. On Monday night, she posted a  SOS message alongside two videos, pleading for the message to gain traction and reach a wider audience to secure justice for the victim.

“There’s a video I’m about to post. I need you guys to help me get justice for (sic). She was bullied in her school by her classmates at Lead British School, Abuja. Pls make it go viral so she can get justice,” the post read.

In one of the videos, two female students were seen hitting another female student on her cheek while she sat helplessly. “Who is the boy? What is the boy’s name,” they asked repeatedly as they continued hitting her.

In another video, the same girl can be seen standing helplessly as another student slaps her multiple times. “Who broke my heart,” she asked, accompanying the question with an assault on the face. In all the videos that made it online, the victim was quiet and made no move to retaliate. 

The video which has since gone viral, has triggered different reactions from Nigerians. 

Reactions

The school has been closed for three days. A senior education official, Kabiru Musa, told The Punch that the Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye ordered the closure of the school, and in the wake of the closure and calls for investigations from Nigerians at home and abroad, the Head of School, Abraham Ogunkanmbi, has stated that the school has initiated an investigation into the matter. 

“Lead British International School, Abuja is deeply concerned about the recent incident of bullying that has come to light, and want to assure our school community and the public that we are taking this matter very seriously. We are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students,” he said. 

Bullying In Nigerian Schools

In recent times, several cases of bullying in secondary schools have become rife within the Nigerian media space.  In December 2021, a disturbing video emerged online of  12-year-old, Sylvester Oromoni writhing in pain on a hospital bed, igniting widespread outrage. Oromoni, a student at Dowen College, a boarding secondary school in Lagos, tragically passed away a few days after the video surfaced online. 

His family alleged that Oromoni had suffered internal injuries inflicted by fellow students who subjected him to bullying and pressure to join a cult. However, the school administration countered, asserting that Oromoni sustained his injuries during a football match, and denied any incident of bullying. 

Subsequently, a contentious legal battle ensued between the school authorities and grieving parents who maintained that their son had confided in them about being bullied before his untimely death. In April 2024, a Lagos coroner Mikhail Kadiri, determined that Oromoni endured “unnecessary and excruciating pain” due to parental and medical neglect. Surprisingly, Kadiri’s findings absolved the school of any negligence and cleared the accused students of any involvement in Oromoni’s death. 

Bullying is also not exclusive to students, teachers have also been found culpable in the despicable act. In October 2021, Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson-Okojie took to social media to express concerns about the bullying her 8-year-old daughter, Purity, has allegedly been receiving from a teacher at her school. According to Johnson-Okojie, the teacher had made derogatory comments about her and her family, telling Purity that she didn’t like her mother and that celebrity children were poorly behaved. The teacher allegedly also instructed Purity to stop feeling proud and not to bring her “online drama” to school.

In response to Johnson-Okojie’s public complaint, the school management issued a statement announcing an investigation into the alleged bullying incident. However, there were no further updates from the actress on the outcome of the investigation or any subsequent actions taken by the school.

Following the incident at the Lead British School, Nigerians have since taken to social media to relive horrid personal experiences and encounters with bullying, with some even going as far as calling their bullies out.  With the growing cases of these incidents, governmental authorities, educational administrators, policymakers, and pertinent organizations must prioritize establishing secure and equitable learning environments. These environments should foster an atmosphere in which students can excel, devoid of any fear of harassment or discrimination.