In response to a widely circulated bullying video, Lead British International School in Abuja has temporarily closed its doors. The decision came after a social media uproar involving a video where a student, identified as Maryam Hassan, was seen being assaulted by a peer, Njenje Media News reports.
The footage sparked an outcry, leading to thousands of online comments urging the school to take action. Consequently, the school’s management convened a meeting on Tuesday and resolved to suspend academic activities for three days to conduct a thorough investigation.
A senior staff member affirmed that the temporary closure serves the best interest of everyone involved. The situation escalated during the meeting when a parent confronted and slapped the student accused of bullying. The accused student, who faced significant backlash, entered the school grounds with older male companions.
An altercation ensued when a woman, presumed to be a parent, challenged the accused student, questioning her actions and the apparent lack of remorse shown towards the victim.
The student was trying to walk away to avoid confrontation, but the angry parent shoved her, saying, “I’m asking you: did you give birth to her?” The student muttered some incoherent words and the angry parent responded with a slap before another elderly person around moved in to douse tension.
The Lead British International School had earlier said it had launched an investigation into the matter.
In a statement issued earlier on Monday, it said the counselling unit of the school is helping the victimised student overcome the emotional and psychological impact.
The statement read, “We are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students. Hence, upon learning of the incident, we initiated the process of reaching out to the victim and family to provide 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.”
