The management of the School of People With Special Needs, Stadium Area, Osogbo, capital of Osun State has revealed that the two men who allegedly abused two female students of the school sexually have been apprehended.
The principal of the school, Kamilu Oseni, made this known on Tuesday while reacting to a report published by The Point of the alleged sexual exploitation and abuse happening in the school for persons with disabilities.
Oseni, in a message, debunked reports that some teachers and other workers colluded with some outsiders to give out female students with disabilities to some randy men to satisfy their sexual cravings.
The principal also denied that the nude pictures of the students were taken and sent to men outside the school, adding that no one visited the hostel nor the school to have sexual intercourse with the female students.
He, however, admitted that the sexual assault took place outside the school hostel, adding that two men were apprehended and taken to the state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Osogbo on Tuesday.
The Point had reported that some female deaf students of the school aged between 12 and 16 were said to have fallen victims to the ugly menace.
One of the leaders of the Association of the Deaf in the state had raised an alarm over sexual activities between some deaf students of the secondary wing of the School for Special Needs under the management of the Osun State Government and some strange men who sneaked into the hostel.
She alleged that some workers in the school, especially at the hostel are complicit to the sexual menace, urging the state government to probe the allegations and punish those found wanting.
She identified the two men who allegedly abused the deaf pupils sexually penultimate Sunday as Adekunle Kayode from Ofatedo of Osogbo and Agboola Salim from Okinni community, outskirt of the capital city.
In a Save Our Soul letter she addressed to relevant authorities for intervention, she said, “Two deaf men asked for sex from two deaf students in secondary school for persons with special needs.
“I write this brief letter to request for the punishment of two deaf men who deceived deaf students with money and sex them in the hostel.
“The two students in secondary school secretly got a phone call without knowing the plan of these two deaf men from outside. Therefore, I want the punishment of the two deaf men for having sex with students without the knowledge of secondary school authority.
“First, I would like to debunk the allegations in the above publication, that some teachers and other workers in the hostel colluding to give out students for sex is a big lie. That the teachers and other workers send out pictures of students is also another lie. That strange men sneaked into the hostel to have sex with my students is also a false allegation. That the 2 deaf men had sex with the 2 female students in the hostel is also a big lie.
“In the female hostel, I have a hostel mistress and not many hostel mistresses as expressed in the publication. The female hostel is enclosed with a fence and always locked after evening prep classes by 9pm
“Secondly, I want the reporter to come up with concrete evidence that teachers and other workers send out pictures of female students to “men” outside. Such had never happened in my school. It happened outside the school. Immediately I had (heard) about it, I contacted the leadership of the deaf association and some elders in the deaf community. We identified the boys as Salim and Kayode. On Sunday morning around 7:00 am, in company of the Deaf Association Chairman and the BOT Chairman of the Deaf Association, we went to both Okinni and Ofatedo to apprehend the 2 culprits. We met Salim and dad at home. The old man promised to produce him on Monday. At Ofatedo, we met the parents of Kayode but he had gone to church. The parents also promised to produce them on Monday. Both parents brought them to school for interrogation by the school management and government officials.
“What happened between the two female deaf students and the two deaf men did not happen in the school or in the hostel.
“I contacted the NSCDC officer in charge of People with disabilities but it was not successful. I later got her, and we agreed to bring those (suspects) to their office on Tuesday morning,” Oseni said.
Meanwhile, The Point gathered that the two suspects are in custody of NSCDC and investigation would be conducted.
Some officials of the government were said to have visited the school on Tuesday.
Stakeholders have expressed displeasure over the development and warned relevant authorities against sweeping the case under the carpet.
They also called on the state government to protect the students at the special school hostel by erecting fences around the hostel and ensuring that they don’t have access to sexual predators.