Anxiety as pupil attacks teacher with machete

Osogbo Grammar School

There was anxiety over the state of health of a teacher at the Osogbo Grammar School, Osun State, identified simply as Mr. Olamoyegun, on Thursday as a pupil of the Government Technical College in the town attacked him with a machete

Although what led to the attack on the teacher was still sketchy, our correspondent, however, gathered that the pupil pulled a surprise attack on the teacher, making it impossible for him to defend himself.

Some pupils of the OGS told our correspondent that the attacker, whose name had yet to be identified, attacked the teacher from the back and inflicted a deep cut on his head with the cutlass.

One of the OGS pupils, whose name is withheld for security purpose, said, "I think the person that attacked Mr. Olamoyegun is a cultist. That is what everybody is saying here because he just sneaked behind our teacher and attacked him with the cutlass in his hand. He did not give Mr. Olamoyegun the chance to defend himself.

"Now, everybody is worried because nobody knows whether our teacher survived the attack."

Naijahforreal Metro, however, learnt that Olamoyegun was rushed to the Government House Clinic from where he was referred to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.

Some of his colleagues in the school said he had been responding to treatment.

But when the Principal of Osogbo Grammar School, Mr. A. O. Akinlusi, was contacted on the telephone, he declined comment.

He said, "Go to Dada Estate Police Station. Members of the group involved are in  police custody."

The Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, Mrs. Folasade Odoro, promised to find out what actually happened and call our correspondent back. She, however, had not done this as of the time of going to the press.

But the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osun State Command, Mr. Ayo Olowe, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone.

Olowe said, "The teacher has been treated and he is now okay. The situation is calm now."

A similar incident happened at St. Mark Grammar School, Osogbo on Wednesday where a pupil was reportedly stabbed by one of his mates.

Although there was apprehension in the school over the condition of the pupil, he was said to have survived the attack.

There has been growing incidences of violent attack in secondary schools in the state following the merger of schools in the new education policy of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

There was a violent clash at Baptist Girls High School, Osogbo about three weeks ago as some suspected   cult members in the school engaged in a bloody clash with a rival cult group from another secondary school.

The Principal of Baptist High School, Ejigbo, Mr. Layi Oguntola, was also attacked last week by some Muslim youths, who invaded the school over the allegation that he sent a pupil wearing Hijab, a scarf for Muslim women, away from the school.

Oguntola has debunked the claim, saying he merely caned the female pupil because she  was unruly.