Christ Mitots School in Ikorodu, Lagos, has indefinitely suspended a teacher, Stella Nwadigo, after a disturbing video showing her assaulting a three-year-old pupil, Abayomi Michael, surfaced online. The incident, which occurred during a numeracy lesson, sparked public outrage and led to the teacher’s arrest on Wednesday.
The viral footage showed Nwadigo repeatedly hitting the young boy for struggling with his lesson, prompting widespread condemnation from parents, education advocates, and the general public. The backlash prompted the school to take swift disciplinary action and issue a public statement addressing the situation.
In its statement released on Thursday, the school management expressed shock and condemned the teacher’s actions, describing them as unacceptable and contrary to the institution’s core values.
“We are aware of a deeply troubling incident involving one of our teachers and a student, which has been circulating on social media,” the statement read. “The video shows a teacher engaging in the physical discipline of a student in a manner that is completely unacceptable and contrary to the values and principles of our school.”
The school confirmed that Nwadigo has been suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. The management assured the public that it is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of every child in its care.
“This immediate and decisive action reflects our zero-tolerance policy toward misconduct,” the statement continued. “We extend our sincerest apologies to the student and their family. We have reached out to them personally to express our regret, offer support, and ensure that their needs are fully addressed during this time.”
The school also announced plans to implement stricter child protection protocols. As part of the measures, Christ Mitots School will introduce mandatory training sessions for all teachers to reinforce positive disciplinary practices and ensure greater sensitivity in handling students.
“We are taking firm steps to ensure that such behavior is never repeated. We will organize mandatory training sessions to reinforce child protection protocols and emphasize non-violent disciplinary methods,” the statement added.
In addition, the school introduced a confidential whistle-blowing system to encourage the prompt reporting of any inappropriate behavior by staff members.
The Lagos State Ministry of Education is reportedly monitoring the case closely and may take further action depending on the investigation’s findings.
Parents and child rights advocates have commended the swift response from the school but stressed the importance of enforcing strict penalties to deter similar incidents in the future.
The case has reignited conversations around child abuse in schools, with many calling for stricter oversight of educational institutions to prevent mistreatment of vulnerable children.
