Chrisland school child rape: 2-year-old that accused supervisor was tutored by her mother- Teacher tells court

the school supervisor of defilement.

PM News reports that Adebola who is the fourth witness in the trial, gave evidence to prove that the mother of the pupil tutored her daughter on how to lie against the accused Supervisor who she described as a responsible man.

While being led in evidence by the defence counsel, Olatunde Adejuyigbe (SAN), Adebola who informed the court that she was promoted to the Deputy Headteacher in 2015 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 testified that the mother told the meeting that no one lived with her family and that she was the only one that stayed with her children and did everything herself. However the pupil told them that a certain Anu lived 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 added added that the pupil further said

‘Mr Adenekan put his wee in my wee and poured dirty sand in my wee’. 

Adebola said she asked the child if she knew where the alleged defilement occurred, adding that when the child gave an affirmation, she asked the child to identify where it happened.

“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 the possibility of a pupil being defiled in the school is quite slim as they never get to move around the school premises without an adult escorting them.

“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.

According to Adebola, with the structure of the school, it was unlikely that a staff would defile a pupil without drawing the attention of other individuals within the premises.

“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

While being cross-examined by Mr Jide Boye, the lead state counsel, Adebola said that though she did not know him prior to his employment by Chrisland School, she considered the accused to be 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 presiding judge, Justice Sybil Nwaka, adjourned the case until June 25 for continuation of trial.