Four students arrested over ‘annual tradition’ of molesting schoolgirls

The police have arrested four male students of Ireti Grammar School, Falomo, Lagos, for allegedly molesting some schoolgirls.

According to PUNCH, final year female students of Falomo Senior High School are usually assaulted on the day of their last examination.

The act is said to have become a yearly tradition.

Michale Matthew, a witness quoted by the newspaper, said she saw a boy trying to force himself on a girl while the others boys were cheering.

She said she later discovered that the boys were students of Ireti Grammar School.

“I open my car in disbelief and shout at the boys to break it up while shouting at my security and the second driver to assist me. I walk towards them and as I make my way towards them, I see another group and this time they have cornered one of the girls who fell while running from them,” Matthew said.

“I see her kicked down, she bravely pushes herself up and another guy tries to clear her legs and she lunges at him and then a guy takes a pair of scissors in his hands and with one swoop tears her skirt from the bottom and also a part of the black spandex shorts she has on underneath.

“All this happens really in a few minutes and he proceeds to push himself into her through her back. His trousers is open too and another one tries to do same from the front. As this is going on, the crowd of boys are wild with frenzy, cheering the two boys on, while grabbing at her hair, breasts and she is fighting for dear life.

“This is not before I get the names of the boys as George and Abiodun as the main perpetrators, they are final year students of Ireti Grammar School SW Ikoyi.”

Olarinde Famous-Cole, spokesperson of the Lagos state police command, was quoted as saying that there was no indication of a rape incident.

He said the police was still investigating the matter and would shed more light after getting all sides of the story

“As it is, there is no indication of rape. The report the division gave us is that students had rivalry and differences. The division called in some of the students to the station and would also be contacting their parents as part of the investigation,” Famous-Cole said.

“As I speak with you, the DPO said there is nothing like rape. When we have evidence through the reports of the state government, parents and the victims, we would be able to shed more light on the nature of what took place that day.”

Idiat Adebule, deputy governor of Lagos, has confirmed the arrest of the boys.

“Four of the boys involved are already helping the law enforcement agents in apprehending others who participated in the reckless act,” she said in a statement signed by Adesegun Ogundeji, assistant director, public affairs, ministry of education.