A teacher, identified as Alhaji Usman Galadima, has been accused of sexually abusing 14 pupils in the primary school he teaches in Niger state.
According to reports, the Grade 2 teacher at the Central Primary School Karabonde, Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State, allegedly threatened to kill the pupils if they told anyone about it.
However, two of the pupils summoned courage to report to the school’s headmistress, Hajiya Maimunat Tanko, who then reported to the headmaster, Mallam Abdullahi Toure.
When Alhaji Galadima was confronted with the allegations, he reportedly denied the student’s claims.
With time, more students came out to report that they had also been sexually molested by the teacher, which made the school launch an investigation into the matter.
However, Alhaji Galadima still claimed to be innocent until a delegate sent by Bà Karabonde, the traditional head of Karabonde, came to the school to complain that some girls from grades 2 and 3 of the school had told their parents that they were molested by the teacher.
According to the kids, Galadima told them to come to school very early and he used the opportunity to sexually assault them.
Following this concrete allegation, Galadima confessed to raping only one of the girls. At this time, members of the community had already gotten wind of the incidents and they stormed the school with weapons to hurt Galadima, however, he had been smuggled out of the school.
Thereafter, the case was transferred to the Borgu Emirate Council and Galadima was promised leniency if he confessed.
Galadima, then changed his statement, claiming he only abused two of the girls before later admitting to defiling 5 of them. So far, 14 pupils have come forward to reveal how the teacher asked them to kiss him and play with his manhood. Others said he raped them.
The girls were taken to the hospital for treatment where it was discovered that Galadima, who is currently on the run, is HIV positive.
It is currently unknown if the girls contracted the virus because the hospital withheld their test results and prescribed only drugs for them.
Parents of the girls have called on the appropriate authorities and NGOs to wade into the matter and help them get justice.
