The Ogun State Police Command have arrested the proprietor, the principal and a teacher of Metorite Standard School, Ayetoro, for allegedly tying up two pupils of the school to ‘crosses’ and flogging them with a horsewhip.
Identified as Afolayan Joseph, the proprietor and two others were said to have tied the pupils for allegedly coming late to school.
They were arrested on Wednesday after a policeman, identified only as Livinus, who witnessed the incident and cautioned the men, was beaten up.
Distressing pictures show a male and female student tied to makeshift crosses with green string.
Joined by other residents, the policeman was said to have succeeded in getting the suspects arrested and taken to the Itele Police Station.
The policeman, who is attached to the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, said the pupils were tied to the wooden crosses in the open.
He said, “I was going to work this morning (Wednesday) when I saw some cars parked by the roadside. I discovered that it was because of some pupils that were tied to crosses. When I saw it, I parked and went to meet the proprietor of the school. I introduced myself as a policeman and told him to untie the pupils. He refused, saying there was nothing anybody could tell him that would make him release them.
“When I tried to untie the pupils, the proprietor and his teachers beat me up. Before I returned from picking handcuffs from my car, they had grabbed a friend who was with me, Omaje iremi, and beaten him up with a horsewhip.
“I entered the school – with the help of some neighbours who gathered around – to arrest him, but he refused to follow me. I then called the Divisional Police Officer of the Itele Police Station and he sent some policemen to the school, who took everybody to the station.”
Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the arrests of the three men
He said, “It is a barbaric incident because I don’t see any offence that a secondary school pupil will commit that will make someone to tie him or her and be flogging them in public.
“They have been arrested and will be taken to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.
“The act is no longer a corrective measure; it is a barbaric act and it will not be allowed in this 21st century.”
