Police Invite Parents After Students Assault Classmate in Benin School

By Ekanem ASUQUO 

The Edo State Police Command has asked the parents of a student of Igbinedion Education Centre in Benin City to report to the police and lodge a formal complaint after the student was assaulted by some of his classmates in an incident captured in a viral video.

Police authorities said the step would help identify the victim and enable the command to begin a proper investigation into the matter.

The management of the private secondary school has meanwhile expelled two students accused of attacking the victim following public outrage over the video.

The footage, which circulated widely on social media platform X, showed two male students physically assaulting another student while a third student recorded the incident.

In the video, one of the attackers was seen dragging the victim by his school uniform and stepping on his chest while the boy cried in pain. The student recording the assault was heard pleading with the attackers to stop.

Reacting to the development, the school management in a statement on Friday described the behaviour as disturbing and contrary to the values of the institution.

The school reiterated its strict zero tolerance policy against bullying, intimidation, harassment, cultism and any form of violence within the school community.

According to the statement, the students involved in the assault were expelled with immediate effect after an internal investigation.

The school also confirmed that the matter had been reported to relevant authorities and said it was cooperating fully with the investigation, noting that the students involved are minors.

It added that support was being provided to those affected and that the institution was working closely with their families to ensure the matter was addressed appropriately.

A staff member of the school, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the parents of the students involved had approached the family of the assaulted student in an attempt to settle the matter privately but declined to disclose names because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Edo State, Eno Ikoedem, urged the victim and his parents to come forward and formally report the incident so the police could commence an investigation.

He noted that bullying is a criminal offence and should not be tolerated.

“No one is allowed to beat up and dehumanise someone like that. That is somebody’s child irrespective of whatever offence he may have committed,” Ikoedem said.

Human rights activist Kola Edokpayi also condemned the attack and called on the school to enforce strict sanctions to discourage similar acts in the future.