A 14-year-old Senior Secondary School II student of Bishop Phillips Academy, Ibadan, Oyo State, Miss Iyanuoluwa Dahunsi, has lost her right eye after she was slapped by a member of staff at the school.
According to a Tribune report, Dahunsi was allegedly slapped by one Mrs Funke Fashina, the secretary to the principal of the school on Thursday, January 29.
Student Pulse gathered that she had seen the student and her colleagues emerging from an unused room within the school and demanded to know what they were doing there.
Fashina reportedly slapped each of the girls while interrogating them.
Unfortunately, Dahunsi’s right eye developed a problem that caused doctors at the University College Hospital, Ibadan (UCH) to recommend surgery.
Presently, the eyeball of the affected eye is almost dropping out of the sockets.
Dahunsi’s tragic account of the course of events was published by Tribune.
“We saw our teacher from the window of the room so we wanted to step out to go and meet her. As we were about to leave the room, we saw the secretary to the Principal, Mrs Funke Fasina,” Dahunsi said.
“She asked us what we were doing in that room but before we could explain, she slapped us one after the other.
“By the time I got home, my left eye had turned red and painful. I told my mother what happened but she dismissed me, saying that I would not have been slapped if I didn’t do something wrong.”
Things went worse, forcing the mother to visit the school to complain.
“On Monday February 9, my mother followed me to school and the principal asked my mother to take me to the hospital.”
She sought medical attention from different hospitals before UCH recommended surgery.
“From there, we went to the University College Hospital, Ibadan and I was told that I would undergo surgery.
“We were told to bring N300,000 as deposit.”
Her parents could not afford the sum and filed a report with the police but the damage had already been done.
“Now I can no longer see with my right eye and I am going through a lot of pains,” the teenager said.
Her mother, Mrs Damilola Dahunsi, said she had even begged the secretary, believing that the eye problem was as a result of black magic.
“We went to Mrs Fashina and I begged her to give us an antidote if she used a charm on my daughter but she denied using charm to slap my daughter,” the mother said.
“My daughter never had any eye problem since she was born.”
The girl’s uncle, Sunkanmi Ojewumi, told Tribune that an unnamed staff of UCH tried to frustrate the family.
He also said the Permanent Secretary at the Oyo Ministry of Education, Mr. Giwa, said the Ministry could only assist the family to beg for alms from students, inferring that the girl had other problems prior to the slap.
“He said the only way they could help was to go round schools and seek donations from students, which TESCOM would add to,” Ojewumi said.
“It was claimed that she had a tumor in the eye. But we will not accept the result because the girl never had eye problem.
Meanwhile, the Spokesperson of the Oyo State Police, DSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, said Fashina was arraigned on March 9 and made bail on March 12.
The Commissioner of Education, Prof Solomon Oladapo Olaniyonu, said the Fashina has been suspended.
“They have taken the case to court and we have already suspended the lady. On the treatment, some humanitarian persons have been gathering money and I saw the Permanent Secretary this morning and he told me that the deposit had been gathered,” he said.
The family is now seeking help from the government, being unable to meet UCH’s N300,000 deposit demand.
“We appeal to the government to come to the girl’s aid. We don’t have any money and the father’s shop at Oki area of Ibadan was razed recently and he lost goods worth millions of naira.
“The mother sells provisions.”
It remains to be seen if the teenager will get justice even as the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of UCH, Dr Adefemi Afolabi promised to admit Dahunsi and carry out the surgery.
While this happens, the little girl’s eyes, life and future is at stake and one would wonder if the Oya state government, the Ministry of Education or the school where the tragedy happened cannot foot her bills.
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