The Deputy Head Teacher of Chrisland Schools, who testified in the rape case against the school’s supervisor, revealed that the 2-year old victim’s mother tutored her on how she falsely claimed defilement.
The trial which resumed June 18th involves the supervisor, 47-year old Adegboyega Adenekan facing allegation of defiling the victim in November 2016.
The head teacher, Mrs Adeola Adebola made the revelation while speaking to the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court as the fourth witness in the case. She also gave evidence to prove her claim.
Adebola said:
“The defendant is my colleague and was a supervisor in the upper Chrisland Primary School. The incident was reported to the headteacher, and being my immediate head, she brought the allegation of defilement to my attention. There was a meeting on Oct. 18, 2016, the headteacher invited the child’s mother and she came in with a lady called Titi. My headteacher was reluctant about her presence but the mother assured her that she was someone she trusted”.
She added that the mother told them that she lived alone with her daughter, but the victim told them that a certain Any lived in the house with them.
“After a while, I was told to bring the child from her classroom which I did. I tried to talk to her and I asked who bathed her that morning and she said, ‘Anu. I asked who Anu was, and the mother said the person who bathed her was her husband’s niece who lived with them. The child immediately said, ‘Anu bathes me and hurt my bum,’ but her mother immediately said, ‘Nobody bathed you, you did it yourself’, and the child immediately said, ‘Yes, I did it myself’.” Adeola said
She revealed what the pupil further said
‘Mr Adenekan put his wee in my wee and poured dirty sand in my wee’.
Adebola continued by revealing how the victim took them to the place where the alleged defilement took place.
“When we got to the place where we have our assembly, she said, ‘This is the place.’ Her mother was visibly embarrassed and we were shocked. The mother said to her that there was another place she told her, and the girl looked at her and started walking toward the canteen area. We got there and it is a more open place, and the child said,’ This is the place”, and her mother got more jittery. These areas the child showed us are open and very busy with people going out and coming in,” Adebola said.
Adebola said pupils hardly move around the school without an adult escorting them, which makes the possibility of a defilement very slim.
“We don’t have a male class teacher in the nursery section. School starts by 8.00a.m., and by 7.30a.m., we expect children to be in school. It is only the class teacher and the assistant who can go with children to the bathroom. The defendant does not participate in our assembly because the assembly is different from where he is. He is the supervisor of upper primary and the headteacher and I go round the school to ensure that things are done properly,” she said.
She added that the school is structured in such a way that a teacher cannot defilement a pupil without anyone being alerted.
“Mr Adenekan does not have an office to himself, he shares office with two other supervisors. The office is on the first floor and has an outer oom where photocopies are made by Mr Muri, the school Clerk. The child’s class is next to the toilet, and they are always followed by the class assistant to the toilet. Parents or guardians, in order to pick them, must show their pickup cards to the educator.I was shocked at the allegation, the defendant’s section is different from ours, we usually don’t do things together. The management of the school were immediately informed and it called in a disciplinary committee and did its own findings to see if the allegation was true or not,” she said
During cross-examination by the lead state counsel Mr Jide Boye, Adebola said she believes the accused is a responsible man.
“Having worked with someone for four to five years, you will know him considerably. I have no doubt as to his character. Sometimes, during a long vacation, we have seminars and group learnings together, and from there, I got to know him. Part of my shock is that the child knew him despite the distance, that is why we are her. I was with the child at the school clinic and I am aware that she drew a ‘wee-wee’ there. By my own judgment, children can draw anything,” she said.
The case has now been adjourned by Justice Sybil Nwaka until June 25.