School Principal questioned for conducting Virginity test on female students

Rev. Olufunke Oladeojobi the Principal of Ajuwon Senior High School, Ajuwon, Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, has been quizzed by the police for allegedly conducting virginity tests on the pupils.

 Rev.Oladeojobi, who was described as a strict disciplinarian, by her pupils called in a nurse and jointly carried out virginity tests on a group of 10 students last week Monday.

 It was further learnt that the principal did not seek the consent of the parents/guardians of the pupils before conducting the test on Senior Secondary School 1 pupils.

During the test, it was alleged that the principal and the nurse whose name could not be ascertained allegedly dipped their fingers into the pupils’ private parts.

After the exercise, which took place at the principal’s office, each of the pupils was given an exercise book.

A 15-year-old pupil, who identified herself simply as Ayo, said the principal came into the classroom on the day and announced that all female SSS 1 pupils should converge on the assembly ground.

She said the principal subsequently asked that those who had yet to lose their virginity should stand apart.

Ayo said, “We are over 600 in SSS 1 but only about 300 of us are females. Those of us that are virgins are 38 and we were matched into the principal’s office with the assistance of members of staff.

“They subsequently divided us into three groups of 10, 15 and 13 and I was in the second group. The principal later addressed us and threatened that any pupil who fails the test would have her name written in the school’s black book and would be suspended.”

Entrance to Ajuwon Senior High School

Ayo said she became apprehensive when everyone who emerged from the office where the test was being carried out came out with a sad and disgusting look.

She said, “When my class captain emerged from the room, I asked her why anyone that came out of the office looked depressed? I was held spell bound when she told me that the principal and the nurse dipped their fingers in turns into their private parts, adding that she had started bleeding as a result of the penetration.

 “Just as I was asking further questions from her, the principal dashed out of her office and announced that she had discovered one student who had lost her virginity out of the 10 students that were examined.

“She wrote her name on one of the notice boards in her office and ordered the rest of us to return to our various classes. Two of my friends who had similar experiences burst into tears as they narrated what happened.”

Thirteen-year-old SSS I pupil of the school, identified simply as Ujunwa,   said the principal was happy  that she was able to “catch a promiscuous pupil” as she felt proud to discuss it on the assembly ground the next day.

She, however, added that her joyous moments was soon short-lived when the parents of the 10 pupils stormed the school in protest against the development.

In an Animal Farm move, the pupils rebelled against Oladeojobi on Wednesday as they did a sit-in on the assembly ground protesting and demanding that she should be redeployed from the school.

It was gathered that it was the teachers’ intervention that calmed the pupils.

Ujunwa said, “The parents of the girl that was said to have lost her virginity who happens to be a member of the Press Club and the other nine parents besieged the school last Tuesday and Wednesday and queried our principal for conducting such an unauthorised test on their children.

 “The parents then came with policemen attached to the Ajuwon Police Division where they had reported the incident on Thursday and arrested our principal.”

The Divisional Police Officer of Ajuwon Division, Mr. Waheed Yusuf, a Chief Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.

He said the investigation into the matter was still “ongoing” and declined further comment until “investigations were concluded.”

But, a policeman attached to the station who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Oladeojobi owned up to the incident.

He said, “She confessed that she conducted virginity tests on the pupils and that ‘she was trying to help them.’ We took her in for questioning on Thursday and Friday but she was not detained as my superiors were taking into consideration that she is a civil servant.

 “We might have some problems if she (Oladeojobi) is to be charged to court for sexual assault because the matter was reported to the police late and no medical examination was immediately done on the affected pupils to use as a proof in the law court.”

I REGRET NOT PRAYING WITH MY HUSBAND BEFORE HIS DEATH-- Mrs. Amina Yakowa

Mrs. Amina Yakowa,  Widow of the  late Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa, says that her worst regret was not praying with her  husband before he embarked on his last journey to Bayelsa State on Saturday.

Mrs. Amina Yakowa

Amid sobs, Amina narrated how her husband left the house on Saturday without the usual ‘prayer of agreement’ and how they had planned to meet in Abuja for  a  thanksgiving  service  for  President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Patience.

     

She told the congregation at a church service organised for the late governor inside the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House that, “Everyday, we normally hold our hands to pray before he steps out of the house to the office. But on Saturday, when he told me he was leaving for Bayelsa State. I just bid him farewell and we said  we would  meet in Abuja for the thanksgiving ceremony of President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Patience. I regret that we could not pray as usual. After that he came down and left for Bayelsa.

“We used to wake up every morning to pray. Before yesterday (Saturday), he used to  insist  that we  pray  before he would  step out of the house  for any engagement. On  December 23, we would have celebrated our 34th year of marriage but for death.”

She said she could not pray for her husband on Saturday because she was down with catarrh.

“We planned to meet in Abuja today for the thanksgiving service of the President’s wife. He (Yakowa) had been a pillar of support to our  family,” she added.

Yakowa and ex-National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi

 

Yakowa; ex-National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi , and four others died when a Naval Augusta 109 Helicopter in which they were travelling crashed in the Nembe-Okoroba  in  Bayelsa State.

They were returning from the burial of  Pa Douglas, the father of an aide to  Jonathan, Oronto Douglas. 

Other victims of the crash were  Yakowa’s special adviser, Dauda Tsoho; Azazi’s bodyguard, Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal; and  two naval pilots -  Commander Muritala Mohammed Daba and Lt. Adeyemi O. Sowole.

The bereaved being condoled by the Vice President, namadi Sambo

The traditional ruler of Kagoma,  Col Paul Zaka Wyom,  said he would never forget his last encounter with the late governor during the just concluded council poll which incidentally took place on Yakowa’s birthday.

Wyom said, “It is very difficult to give a full description  of the governor. The last time that I saw him was during the Local Government election in the state on December 1, 2012. That was the moment that I will never forget in my life.

“He was a seasoned civil servant. He will be remembered for being the first civilian governor of Kaduna from the Southern part of the state and he will also be remembered for his prudent management of state resources.”

Also on Sunday,   the President-General of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, Dr. Ephraim Goje, narrated how Yakowa visited his parents’ grave barely 15 days before he met his death.

Goje said, “One of the last encounters I had with him that I will never forget happened on December 1, 2012 which was his birthday. If you remember, he also conducted the local government elections on that day.  At about 1 pm, I called him to congratulate him on his birthday and for successfully conducting the local government elections.

“He said to me, my president, as I speak to you, I am standing by the graveside of my parents. I have not had the opportunity to come here in the past two years and I am using the opportunity of this elections to come to their graveside.

“He said further that he will surprise the people of Kaduna State when he presents his 2013 budget and that through the document, the people of the state will know that he meant business. I told him that wherever his parents were, I am sure that they would be proud to have him as their son, especially rising through the ladder to be the governor of the state. We are also proud of him and his achievements.

“After the election, I went to his village (Kagoma) to see him and discovered that he had left for Kaduna. I never knew that 15 days later, he will be no more. We are really grieving and sad.”

Goje said the death of the governor came to him as a surprise, noting that  with the loss of  a “great son” like Yakowa, a big vacuum had been created in the state.

 “The death of Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa came to me as a surprise and with great shock. I want to say that Kaduna State has lost a great son and a big vacuum has been created. He was a man with a passion to develop Kaduna State. There were no religious or ethnic considerations in his actions and he was dedicated to the development of the state,” he said.