The management of Lead British International School, Abuja says it has begun investigation into the viral video showing one of its students being slapped repeatedly by her classmate.

The school said it was deeply concerned by incident and was taking the matter seriously.

LBIS is rated as one of the most expensive schools in Nigeria with an annual school fee of N1.5 million annually according to Legit News.

An X user, @moooyeeeee, had on Monday night posted two videos of a female student of the school being repeatedly slapped by another female classmates.

The user called for justice for the victim.

Since they were posted, the videos have drawn the wrath of many users of the microblogging platform who condemned the incident and called for the school authorities to investigate and punish the culprits.

One of those that reacted posted a screenshot where it was alleged the school has been treating bullying, which it said has been reoccurring, with kid gloves.

The untitled screenshot cited the case of another student who cut his classmate with knife but was only suspended for two days.

Reacting to the allegations in a statement on Tuesday and signed by Head of School, Abuja, Abraham Ogunkanbi, the school said that it has initiated a panel of inquiry that has started working on all evidences to get the full scope of the incident.

“We will be working with the perpetrators and their families, offering counselling and disciplinary measures to address their behaviour which has no place in society.

“We have also immediately initiated an investigation, appointing a dedicated team to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter, The team has been gathering information, including reviewing video footages and interviewing witnesses, to understand the full scope of the incident and identify the immediate and remote causes,” the statement posted on LBIS, Abuja Instagram’s page read.

Also, the school assured all of reaching out to the parents of the victim and offering her support while vowing to punish the culprits.

“We are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students.

“Hence, upon learning of the incident which, we initiated the process of reaching out to the victimand family with a view to providing support, including access to counseling services to help.

“Additionally, we will be working with the perpetrators and their families, offering counselling and disciplinary measures to address their behaviour which has no place in society,” the statement added.

To forestall future occurrence, the management said it would review its extent Anti-Bullying policies while also promising to raise bullying awareness amongst its students and staff.

“In line with our commitment to preventing bullying and ensuring a safe school environment, we will be reviewing and updating our extant Anti-Bullying Policies and procedures to determine
areas requiring improvement, with a focus on prevention and early intervention.

“LBIS will also be implementing educational programmes and workshops for students, staff, and parents to raise awareness about bullying and its consequences,” it stated.

An X user, @mooyeeeeeee, is seeking justice for a female student of Lead British International School, Abuja, who she said was bullied by her classmates.

In an SOS post on Monday night, accompanied by two videos, she stated she needed the message to go viral to get justice for the victim.

“There’s a video I’m about to post. I need you guys to help me get justice for (sic). She was bullied in her school by her classmates at Lead British School, Abuja. Pls make it go viral so she can get justice,” the post read.

In one of the videos, the victim was seen being slapped repeatedly by another female student while asking “Who broke my heart?”.

In another video, the victim was seen sitting next to a male classmate who was heard saying “I spoilt her relationship”.

The post has since generated over 1,000 comments as of the time of filling this report.

Those who reacted condemned the incident, calling on the school authorities to investigate the matter.

An X user, @knownso1 said, “This is so sad to watch, don’t care what happened but she’s doesn’t deserve such treatment from these rascals.

“Imagine the nonsensical boy beside her even laughing. Them suppose mend that boy. But she could at least fight back and don’t allow them treat her like a coward!!”

Another user, @Lefter_11, advised that the victims’ parents should report the incident to the police.

“Her parents should involve police and also report those children to school authorities. Some of us that went to public schools will not care to let our parents know that someone bullied or beat us , we go just arrange some friends and treat them in the language they understand,” he said.

Meanwhile, another X user, @sadiqGsadiq, posted a screenshot where it was alleged that the school has a bullying problem.

The untitled screenshot also alleged that another student of the school cut her classmate with a knife but was only given a two-day suspension.

“Bullying is one of the biggest issue in Lead British international school.

“And the worst thing is that they don’t even take serious actions for it. The punishment they use is always packing of trash like…does that make sense? Will packing of trash stop me from bullying someone?it does not even make sense, to be honest.

“The school is always trying to hide things like this. When things like this happen and we tell our parents, our parents think we are being dramatic and stuff that’s why we all need you to put back the post and bring awareness cuz it needs to stop.

“When I told my mom, she said I was lying. It was when I showed her the video that she believed me sef
“Let me tell you something, worst things have happened. There was a time a girl brought a knife or a paper cutter and used it to slice a boy’s hand. The boy was in Year 7. He had to get stitches and the girl’s punishment was two days suspension cuz allegedly her parents paid the school or something,” the screenshot read.

The school has yet to respond officially to the incident as of the time of filling this report.

The Head, Corporate Affairs and Business Development (Abuja branch), Ngozi Nwaokoma, did not also respond to the messages dropped on her phone.

Meanwhile, a check on the school showed it is rated as one of the most expensive in Nigeria with an annual school fee of N1.5 million according to Legit News.

It was established in September 2007 and currently has two annexes in Abuja and two branches in Ibadan, Oyo State and Osogbo, Osun State.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, the University of Benin branch, said on Monday that its members may not resume academic activities on April 28 due to attacks on lecturers and management staff by students of the institution.

The ASUU leadership also noted that it is a constraint to embark on teaching and research in an environment in which lecturers are prime targets for brutalisation or elimination by some students who are labouring to impact the wealth of their intellectual property following the attack on their members.

The ASUU position is coming on the heels of the attempted murder of Dr Presley Osemwengie, a lecturer in the Department of Economics and member of the University of Benin Branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, by some members of the Executive Committee of the University of Benin Students Union when Labour candidate Olumide Akpata came to the school on April 12 for an interactive session.

A statement signed by the Chairman and the Secretary, UNIBEN ASUU, Ray Chikogu, and Success Abusomwan and made available to journalists in Benin said Dr Osemwengie was attacked, hit in the back of his head with a small axe and left for dead in the pool of his blood by some of those in the company of the Students Union President.

The statement reads in part, “We are constrained to issue this statement based on the spate of violence and general atmosphere of insecurity that has permeated the Ugbowo campus of the University of Benin of
late.

“This culminated in the attempted murder of Dr Presley Osemwengie, a lecturer in the Department of Economics and member of the University of Benin Branch of ASUU, by some members of the Executive Committee of the University of Benin Students Union led by their President and some ex- as well as non-students of the University on Friday the 12th of April, 2024.

“On that fateful day, the President of the Students Union of the University of Benin marched upon a gathering of staff of the University and their invited guests, ordering them to discontinue their interaction as he was not pre-informed and, consequently, did not grant permission for the interaction to be held.

“In the resulting melee, Dr Osemwengie was attacked, hit in the back of his head with a small axe, and left for dead in the pool of his own blood by some of those in the company of the students union president.

“It is necessary to note that this worrisome trend began with the assault by both students and non-students of the university on the person of the current Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin in September 2021 when she was humiliated and marched from her residence to the Main Gate of the University in very hostile circumstances.

“Other similar and very unsavoury incidents in which students of the University of Benin have threatened and brutalized lecturers have also been reported at different times. This cannot continue.

“We wish to state now that it is impossible for our members to hereafter dispose themselves to any teaching and research in an environment in which they are prime targets for brutalisation or elimination by some of the students they are labouring to impact with the wealth of their intellectual property. So, it is incumbent on the administration of the University of Benin to provide adequate security for the university staff and create an atmosphere conducive to effective teaching and learning on our campuses.

“To the end that our members will feel safe to conduct their business of research, teaching, and supervision going forward from the 28th of April 2024 (being the date of resumption for the next academic session) therefore, and without prejudice to the work of the Committee set up by the University Administration to investigate the incident at stake, we state as follows as encapsulated in the resolutions of the meeting of the Congress of ASUU UNIBEN on Thursday the 18th of April, 2024.”

“Our Union condemns, in very strong terms, the rebellious and terrorising acts of brigandage being carried out by our students both as individuals and under the cover of student unionism in their entirety,” Chikogu said.