Nigerian socialite and music executive, Ubi Franklin, took to his Twitter page on Sunday to share the shocking story of how his friend’s 10-year-old daughter was raped during a school competition in Dubai.
In a series of tweets, Franklin mentioned that the little girl was selected to represent her school in a sporting game in Dubai. He said while at the competition, the girl was raped, video-tapped, and the video was posted on Instagram a month ago.
Franklin, who, however, did not disclose the name of the school, stated that the school covered up the incident for a month until the victim’s parents found out on their own.
He tweeted, “Just got off the phone with a friend of mine. His 10-year-old daughter was selected to represent her school at the World School Games in Dubai. His daughter was r*ped by fellow students, video tapped, and posted on Instagram and the school concealed it for a month.
“He found out on his own when another parent called his wife and showed his wife the video of his 10-year-old daughter being circulated on Instagram. I have spent the last 1 hour listening to confessional statements by some teachers and I am begging this should rather be a dream.”
In a later update, the music executive noted that the school has since suspended the girl, after secretly conducting a pregnancy test on her.
“UPDATE ON MY PREVIOUS POST. This school took the girl from her parents that they wanted to conduct a Covid test and the school rather took the girl for a pregnancy test. As we speak the girl has been SUSPENDED from the school. Some things don’t make sense at all,” he wrote.
Hours after the matter went viral on social media, the West African Pilot News gathered that the school, Chrisland School suspended the 10-year-old female pupil after accusing her of taking part in a truth or dare game that led to an ‘improper behavior’ when the school went to Dubai to participate in the World School Games held between March 10 and 13, 2022.
The letter of suspension dated April 14, 2022, and signed by the Head Teacher, G. I. Azike, read in part:
“It was discovered that your daughter was involved in improper behaviour during the recently concluded World School Games in Dubai with a few of her counterparts wilfully participated in a game they called ‘Truth or Dare’, a game which led her and a few other co-learners to carry out an immoral act after the lights-out instruction was given.
“In line with our core values centred on discipline, Chrisland Schools have zero tolerance for any improper behaviour and misconduct. A full-scale investigation has been done and the parents of all the culpable learners have been duly notified of the necessary punishment meted out on the learners.
“We cannot as a school condone such. Consequently, (the student*) is hereby placed on an indefinite suspension until you as the parents ensure that she is punished, adequately counselled and rehabilitated.”
Following the development, the student’s mother has cried out to the public for help, claiming her daughter was raped by some male students in a room during the Dubai trip.
She said, “My child attends Chrisland School VGC. Please, I am making this video to beg Nigerians to get justice for me.”
According to her, the daughter said the ‘immoral act’ happened under the influence of drugs.
“When my daughter explained to me what happened, she said that they went out in the morning to have breakfast and one of the boys begged her to lend him her phone charger which she obliged. After they had dinner, the boy called her room that she should come and take her charger. She went there for her charger.
“When she got into the room, one of them said she should take her charger from the toilet; it was when she entered the toilet that they told her to take a substance, so they were all under the influence. She said after that she did not know what she was doing again. They told her to be climbing them and someone stood there videoing and posting it out,” she narrated.
The mother expressed displeasure over how the school handled the incident, saying, “They’ve been threatening that if she speaks out, they are going to kill her. That’s it is a man’s world and she shouldn’t disclose it to me.
“My daughter was dying in silence and I didn’t know. They took her to go and do a pregnancy test and lied it was a COVID test, almost three times.”
She claimed her daughter was suspended after she confronted the school authorities.
“Because we had started confronting them that we were aware of what they did, the school sent her a suspension letter.
“Please, I am begging Nigerians to help me because Chrisland is trying to hide this issue. They are trying to push us out of the way and my daughter is affected psychologically. Please, I need help as a mother. I am begging fellow Nigerians to help me,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State government has shut down all branches of Chrisland Schools in various parts of the state over the alleged sexual abuse and warned the public to desist from redistributing and reproducing pornographic materials of children, noting that anyone caught risks 14 years imprisonment.
Also, Police investigation on the case is underway.
*The West African Pilot News has withheld the student’s name because she is a minor.
