Cayley College Allegedly Suspends Student For Advising A Molested Girl

Months after Queens College, Lagos, made headlines when a teacher in the school was accused of molesting a Junior Secondary School, JSS 2 girl, there is another controversy brewing in Cayley College, Lagos, following the alleged suspension of one Medad Akpoterabor.

Mayorkun

Mrs Mayokun Akpoterabor The said Akpoterabor, a Senior Secondary, SS 3 student, had reportedly advised a junior female student, victim of sexual molestation by another female student, to report to a teacher.

Akpoterabor’s mother, Mrs Mayokun Akpoterabor, said her son got expelled from Cayley College’s hostel in the middle of his NECO exams for giving such advice.

However, reacting via a Facebook post, the school said Mrs Mayokun Akpoterabor’s account provides an inaccurate representation of the issues at hand and that they were engaging the relevant parties towards clarification  and resolution.

Suspended student’s mother speaks

Meanwhile, Mrs Akpoterabor said: “The school said he should not have given such advice. I have been calm in the past two weeks since it happened; only my few friends knew the heavy burden I have borne. I have been giving moral support to my son through this period.

“He was too shocked to believe he is being punished for what he thought was right. The school did not even mind what psychological effect this might have on my son, who had a paper the next day.

“The Proprietress had called me, demanding I come quickly. Being Monday, a heavily -packed one with meetings and activities, I appealed to push the ‘urgent’ meeting till the next day. She reluctantly agreed. Then I asked to know why the urgency and she said she does not think she can keep having my son in the hostel.

“The Proprietress said she cannot discuss the matter on phone. I had visited two days earlier and wondered what could have gone wrong in 48 hours? After her call, on Tuesday, she called my son to her office and suspended him. The poor boy went on his knees, asking that he be forgiven for giving the advice. “The woman drove him out, asking why his mother did not abandon whatever she was doing to answer her (Proprietress) call. My son even explained how heavy her widow-mother’s work-life is. But she did not bulge.

“I am one that goes to any length to honour even the slightest call for attention from my children or their school or even teachers. Those that know me will attest to this.” Mrs. Akpoterabor said the suspension letter did not state reasons for the action taken by the school “but allowed him to sit for the exams and leave promptly after each paper.”

Mrs. Akpoterabor added that on Monday, two weeks after the suspension, she paid a visit to her son’s school, in the company of three friends: Dr. Dokun Adedeji, Mr. Olusola Egberedu and Pastor Ajayi Keji. She said: “We got to speak first with the Director of Studies, Mr. Solomon Ashiegbu.

He noted that my son Medad Akpoterabor, was suspended because they presume he wanted to get the child in question suspended. Is his intention to expel worse than molestation? “Ashiegbu said the molester and molested were given working suspension. Well, it established that molestation happened: my son was suspended for advising, with the intent to witch-hunt Miss Molester, and tarnish the school’s image.”

Not satisfied with Mr. Ashiegbu’s response, the suspended student’s mother said they went to the Proprietress, Mrs Mary Iyayi. Mrs Akpoterabor said: “After discussion, the proprietress said she owes us no explanation. She picked her bag and wanted to walk out on us. So we took our leave.”

School’s response

Reacting to Akpoterabor’s accusation, the management of Cayley College said on their Facebook wall that “our attention has been drawn to the Facebook posts by Mrs Mayokun Akpoterabor, whose account provides an inaccurate representation of the issues at hand.

“We are currently engaging with the relevant parties to ensure adequate clarification and resolution of the issues, of which legal action may be sought.

“Cayley College is a school founded on strong Christian values. We are committed to providing high quality education and an enabling learning environment to build up the total child.”

Source: Vanguard