Chief Magistrate Bolanle Osunsanmi of the Ogba Magistrate Court has ordered the remand of Mrs. Clifford Ikpinkpini, the proprietress of Cradle of Wisdom School, along with her two children, Okeisoprugwe Ikpinkpini, 34, and Okorie Ikpinkpini, 37. They are accused of torturing and subjecting a 10-year-old pupil to inhuman treatment.
The trio was arraigned on four counts related to the mistreatment of the pupil and obstructing justice. The police prosecutor, Supol Raji Akeem, detailed that the alleged offenses occurred between June 27 and 28, 2024, at the school in Igando. According to Akeem, the defendants flogged the boy with a cane, causing injuries to his back, left hand, and waist.
The defendants were also accused of refusing to respond to police invitations and obstructing an officer from performing her duties. These actions reportedly violated Sections 173, 172, 117, and 168(d) of the Child Rights Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
The defendants pleaded not guilty. Despite this, Chief Magistrate Osunsanmi granted them bail set at N200,000 each, with two sureties in like sum.
The incident began when the 10-year-old pupil arrived late to school, explaining he had difficulty finding transportation and had to walk a long distance. Despite his explanation, the defendants allegedly flogged him, resulting in a swollen waist, hand, and back.
In court, a tense moment arose when the defendants refused to provide their addresses or statements. The investigating officer, Yemi Amoo, presented video evidence of their uncooperative behavior, leading Chief Magistrate Osunsanmi to condemn their actions. She stated that without their cooperation, they would remain in custody.
“This should be a signal warning to the yet-to-be-identified child abusers across Lagos State and Nigeria because this is just the beginning of total cleansing of the toxic system,” Osunsanmi declared. She emphasized that Lagos State has zero tolerance for child abuse.
The case has been adjourned to August 29, 2024, for mention.
