Principal quizzed for conducting virginity tests on pupils:
Principal, Ajuwon Senior High School,
Ajuwon, Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, Rev. Olufunke Oladeojobi,
has been quizzed by the police for allegedly conducting virginity tests
on the pupils.
Oladeojobi, who was described as a strict disciplinarian, by her pupils
called in a nurse and jointly carried out virginity tests on a group of
10 students last week Monday.
Imagine nonsense. See the rest after the cut...
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 virginity 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 virgins 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 virginity 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 virginity 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 virginity 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 sexual 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.”
