Principal, Ajuwon Senior High School, Ajuwon, Ifo Local Government
Area, Ogun State, Rev. Olufunke Oladeojobi, has been quizzed by the
police for allegedly conducting vírginity tests on the pupils.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Oladeojobi, who was described as a
strict disciplinarian, by her pupils called in a nurse and jointly
carried out vírginity tests on a group of 10 students last week Monday. It was further learnt that the principal did not seek the consent of
the parents/guardians of the pupils before conducting the test on Senior
Secondary School 1 pupils.
During the test, it was alleged
that the principal and the nurse whose name could not be ascertained
allegedly dipped their fingers into the pupils’ private parts.
After the exercise, which took place at the principal’s office, each of the pupils was given an exercise book.
A 15-year-old pupil, who identified herself simply as Ayo, said the
principal came into the classroom on the day and announced that all
female SSS 1 pupils should converge on the assembly ground.
She
said the principal subsequently asked that those who had yet to lose
their vírginity should stand apart. Ayo said, “We are over 600 in SSS 1
but only about 300 of us are females. Those of us that are vírgins are
38 and we were matched into the principal’s office with the assistance
of members of staff. “They subsequently divided us into three groups of
10, 15 and 13 and I was in the second group. The principal later
addressed us and threatened that any pupil who fails the test would have
her name written in the school’s black book and would be suspended.”
Ayo said she became apprehensive when everyone who emerged from the
office where the test was being carried out came out with a sad and
disgusting look. She said, “When my class captain emerged from the room,
I asked her why anyone that came out of the office looked depressed? I
was held spell bound when she told me that the principal and the nurse
dipped their fingers in turns into their private parts, adding that she
had started bleeding as a result of the penetration. “Just as I was
asking further questions from her, the principal dashed out of her
office and announced that she had discovered one student who had lost
her vírginity out of the 10 students that were examined. “She wrote her
name on one of the notice boards in her office and ordered the rest of
us to return to our various classes. Two of my friends who had similar
experiences burst into tears as they narrated what happened.”
Thirteen-year-old SSS I pupil of the school, identified simply as
Ujunwa, said the principal was happy that she was able to “catch a
promiscuous pupil” as she felt proud to discuss it on the assembly
ground the next day. She, however, added that her joyous moments was
soon short-lived when the parents of the 10 pupils stormed the school in
protest against the development. PUNCH Metro learnt that the pupils
rebelled against Oladeojobi last Wednesday as they did a sit-in on the
assembly ground protesting and demanding that she should be redeployed
from the school.
It was gathered that it was the teachers’
intervention that calmed the pupils. Ujunwa said, “The parents of the
girl that was said to have lost her vírginity who happens to be a member
of the Press Club and the other nine parents besieged the school last
Tuesday and Wednesday and queried our principal for conducting such an
unauthorised test on their children.
“The parents then came
with policemen attached to the Ajuwon Police Division where they had
reported the incident on Thursday and arrested our principal.” When our
correspondent visited the school on Tuesday, the school had closed for
the term while Oladeojobi’s office was shut. Her telephone rang out
while a text message sent to her phone was not responded to.
When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer of Ajuwon Division, Mr.
Waheed Yusuf, a Chief Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident
to our correspondent.
He said the investigation into the matter
was still “ongoing” and declined further comment until “investigations
were concluded.”
But, a policeman attached to the station who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Oladeojobi owned up to the incident.
He said, “She confessed that she conducted vírginity tests on the
pupils and that ‘she was trying to help them.’ We took her in for
questioning on Thursday and Friday but she was not detained as my
superiors were taking into consideration that she is a civil servant.
“We might have some problems if she (Oladeojobi) is to be charged to
court for séxual assault because the matter was reported to the police
late and no medical examination was immediately done on the affected
pupils to use as a proof in the law court.”
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