Lead British International School in Abuja said on Tuesday that it has begun investigating the bullying of a student by her school mates.
Two videos showing the student being manhandled went viral on social media in the early hours of the day.
In one of the videos, the victim was seen being slapped repeatedly by another female student while asking “Who broke my heart?”
In another video, the victim was seen sitting next to a male classmate who was heard saying “I spoilt her relationship”.
Reacting to the concerns raised by Nigerians on social media, the school said in a statement released on Facebook: “Lead British International School, Abuja is deeply concerned about the recent incident of bullying that has come to light, and want to assure our school community and the public that we are taking this matter very seriously.
#JusticeForNamtira: Outrage over bullying of female student at Lead British International School
“We are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students. Hence, upon learning of the incident which, we initiated the process of reaching out to the victim and family with a view to providing support, including access to counselling services to help them cope with the emotional and psychological impact of the incident.
“Additionally, we will be working with the perpetrators and their families, offering counselling and disciplinary measures to address their behaviour which has no place in society.
“We have also immediately initiated an investigation, appointing a dedicated team to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter. The team has been gathering information, including reviewing video footage and interviewing witnesses to understand the full scope of the incident and identify the immediate and remote causes.”
The school assured it would review and update its extant anti-bullying policies and procedures with focus on prevention and early intervention, adding that it would also conduct workshops and educational programmes for students, staff and parents to raise awareness on bullying and its consequences.
