News Agency of Nigeria
A 47-year-old man, Frederick, has lost his life for standing up to a school bus driver who allegedly defiled his seven-year-old daughter.
He died on the school premises in a scuffle with the driver, known as Jacob.
Mr Frederick had gone to meet the school’s management with his widow to narrate their daughter’s experience with Mr Jacob and to ask for immediate action.
After he died in the scuffle, Mr Jacob absconded from the scene, leading to a manhunt by the police.
The spokesman of the police in Lagos State, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident and said the police were on the trail of the driver and would not relent until he was brought to book.
Mr Frederick’s widow told journalists that her daughter told her how Mr Jacob had been taking her to his house at Ajuwon in Ogun to molest her.
She said she narrated the same report to her deceased husband, after which he called the school, and he was asked to come so that the matter could be settled.
“On Wednesday, February 1, my daughter told me that her school bus driver had been taking her to his house in Ajuwon on the pretext that he needed to drop something at home and that she should follow him.
“When they enter the house, the driver would ask my daughter to sit on his lap, to raise her school uniform and to kiss him on his mouth,” she explained.
She said her husband informed the school management on February 6 and was invited.
“The school owner, after listening to us, confronted the driver, saying that he had returned late with the school bus the previous week and when asked, he said he had gone to drop something at home.
“He was later asked about the allegations levelled against him, but he denied it. My daughter was then asked, and she narrated the same experience she told us at home.
“The driver couldn’t say anything other than to query: ‘me’? ‘me’? ‘me’?” she said.
According to her, her visibly angry husband shouted at Mr Jacob and asked about the allegations.
“My husband angrily slapped the driver and they started fighting, during which he pushed my husband on his chest. He fell and efforts to revive him were abortive.
“We rushed him to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead,’’ the widow said.
She added that Mr Jacob absconded after the incident, and she subsequently reported the matter at Iju Police Station.
The school’s director declined to speak on the matter, saying he was assisting the police in hunting for Mr Jacob, the school bus driver that absconded.
(NAN)
