{"id":21884,"date":"2025-01-11T16:45:39","date_gmt":"2025-01-11T16:45:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/?p=21884"},"modified":"2025-01-11T16:51:59","modified_gmt":"2025-01-11T16:51:59","slug":"widowed-mother-seeks-justice-for-3-year-old-son-assaulted-by-teacher-in-ikorodu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/?p=21884","title":{"rendered":"Widowed Mother Seeks Justice for 3-Year-Old Son Assaulted by Teacher in Ikorodu"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Adenike Okunlaya stood before her class of Nursery Two pupils on a quiet Monday morning, she never imagined her world would soon spiral into turmoil. It was January 6, 2025, a date now etched in her memory as the day her three-year-old son was assaulted by someone she considered a colleague and friend.<\/span><\/p>\n

A single mother and widow, Adenike has spent the last three years navigating a labyrinth of grief and survival since losing her husband. Teaching at Christ-Miltos Primary School in Ikorodu, Lagos, was both a source of income and solace\u2014until the incident that shattered her peace.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was in my class when I heard a loud voice yelling, \u2018Write six, write six.\u2019 Moments later, a colleague showed me a video of the female teacher hitting my son. My heart sank. That was my boy, my only son, crying out helplessly,\u201d she recalled, her voice breaking with emotion.<\/span><\/p>\n

The video, which soon found its way to social media, depicted the teacher repeatedly striking the little boy while demanding he write the number six. It sparked outrage online, but for Adenike, it was much more personal\u2014a betrayal of trust and a horrifying reminder of how fragile her son\u2019s safety could be.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adenike revealed that her son had complained several times about being beaten by the teacher. \u201cI thought it was the usual spanking and didn\u2019t take it seriously because she was my colleague,\u201d she admitted, regret etched on her face. \u201cBut seeing the video\u2026 I felt heartbroken.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her heartbreak turned into action when she shared the video with a trusted friend, who then forwarded it. The video\u2019s virality forced the school to act swiftly, terminating the teacher\u2019s employment and initiating an investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The physical toll on her son was undeniable. Adenike described how she rushed him to Ikorodu General Hospital after noticing his ears were affected. Medical professionals confirmed the injuries and referred him for specialized care. \u201cThe doctor\u2019s report is still with the police. I just want justice for my son,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the widow spoke, it became clear that her fight for justice was just one layer of her daily battle for survival. Since her husband\u2019s death three years ago, Adenike has juggled teaching, washing clothes, and cleaning houses to provide for her son.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe only had this boy before his father died,\u201d she said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. \u201cIt\u2019s been hard, but I\u2019ve never owed school fees. I\u2019ve done everything I can to make sure he doesn\u2019t feel the weight of our struggles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite her resilience, the incident has left scars\u2014not just on her son, but on her trust in the system that was supposed to nurture him.<\/span><\/p>\n

The school management seized her phone after the video went viral, inundating her with calls from concerned parents and reporters. \u201cThey returned it two days later, but those days felt like a lifetime,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sacking of the teacher provided some relief, but Adenike is determined to see the case through. The Lagos State Ministry of Youths and Social Development has stepped in, and the police are investigating.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve struggled so much, but my son\u2019s well-being is my priority. I want justice for him and to ensure this doesn\u2019t happen to any other child,\u201d she averred.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Original interview culled from The Punch<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Adenike Okunlaya stood before her class of Nursery Two pupils on a quiet Monday morning, she never imagined her world would soon spiral into turmoil. It was January 6, 2025, a date now etched in her memory as the day her three-year-old son was assaulted by someone she considered a colleague and friend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[10009,10010,68,80,9998,10008],"class_list":["post-21884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro","tag-3-year-old-son","tag-assaulted","tag-ikorodu","tag-justice","tag-teacher","tag-widowed-mother"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21884"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21888,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21884\/revisions\/21888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblogonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}