INVESTIGATE DEATH OF OUR SON—PARENTS OF DECEASED ANAMBRA BOARDING SCH STUDENT BEG IGP

REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE

The Inspector General of Police has been called upon to unravel the circumstances surrounding the untimely death of one Master Bright Onyekwuluje, who was a boarding student of St. Micheals Boys’ College, Ozubulu, in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The call followed, allegation that the junior secondary school student died out of negligence by the school authorities.

In a petition to the Inspector General of Police made available to journalists in Awka, the Onyekwuluje family in Uzoakwa, Ihiala LGA, claimed that their son died of negligence on the part of the
school management who refused to let the deceased go home for proper medical attention after he reportedly became sick while writing examinations in December, 2021.

The family also appealed to the Anambra State Government to intervene on the to give Justice to bereaved family.

Meanwhile, the remains of the deceased student had been laid to rest amidst accusations by the family and denials from the school authorities.

When Radio Nigeria arrived Uzoakwa village, Ihiala, sympathizers, relations and family members all wore long faces and crying as the remains of eleven year old Bright was laid to rest.

His parents, Prince Cornelius and Ogochukwu Onyekwuluje alleged that even when their son’s health had deteriorated, the management of the school insisted that he must stay to finish his exams before going home, a decision they claimed caused the death of their only son.

They claimed that a cousin to the deceased, who was also a student of the school, borrowed a phone and alerted the parents that the boy was ill but could not leave until after exams as insisted by the management.

The father of the deceased further alleged that after calling the guardian, the teacher claimed that the student was okay and that it was nothing serious for him to come down from Port Harcourt court where he resided.

Mr. Onyekwuluje told journalists that Bright who looked so bad, died on the 17th of December 2021, nine days after he was picked up from the school.

“My son, Bright Chidalu Onyekwuluje died out of negligence on the part of the school. He was sick, and they refused to tell us. It was my son’s cousin that borrowed a phone to call his mother to tell us to come and pick Bright that he was dying.

“He told us he has been the one backing him from the school hostel to the classroom everyday, to sit for exams.

“Even after the call, I reached the guardian of my son, but he lied to me that the boy was okay, and that it was nothing serious. I insisted on coming from Port Harcourt, River State where I live to pick him, and they insisted it was nothing serious.

“When I insisted I must see him, I was surprised the boy looked so bad that he was already dying. I asked the guardian if this was the boy he said was alright, but he did not answer. Now I have lost my only son,” he cried out.

An Uncle to the deceased, Mr. Ben Onyekwuluje, said the family would stop at nothing until justice was served on anyone involved in the sudden death of their child as a petition had been submitted to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Alkali Baba, in Abuja.

According to the Uncle of the deceased, the family is appealing to the IGP to investigate the remote and immediate cause of the death and bring justice to all persons in the school, who contributed to the death of the boy, placed under their care.

In an interview, the Principal of St. Michael’s Boys’ Secondary School, the Reverend Father Romanus Mouma, denied the allegation that the school management’s negligence led to the death of the boy.

According to the school Principal, the boy was diagnosed of malaria and was treated immediately but when he took ill again, the Guardian called the parents to come and take him home contrary to the allegation by the family.

“The boy was diagnosed of malaria, and was immediately put on treatment and afterwards, he was okay.

“When it was found that the boy was ill again, it was the guardian that called the parents to come and take him home,” the Principal claimed.

However, the Principal confirmed that the boy, who made the call to the deceased parents, was only made to kneel down for some minutes as punishment for his action, which he said was against the management rules for students to call parents.

“The student, who made the call, was only made to knee down for some minutes, it was against the rule for students to call parents, as calls are only made from a central point by the management,” he stated.

Radio Nigeria will keep tab on the outcome of investigations once it is concluded by the security agents.