Bullied student threatens Abuja school with lawsuit if abusers not punished

A bullied student of Lead British International School Abuja, Namitira Bwala, has asked the school to take punitive action against her abusers or be ready to face a lawsuit.

In a letter from her lawyers, Deji Adeyanju and Co dated Wednesday, April 24, 2024, Bwala gave the school 48 hours ultimatum to act on the matter.

The student was seen in a viral video being physically assaulted by her fellow student, Maryam Hassan, to the anger of many Nigerians.

Following the ensuing public outrage, the bully later apologised to her victim in a video, as the school authorities also slammed her with suspension.

However, the bullied student has faulted the school's handling of the matter.

As claimed by her legal representatives, the Lead British International School should have imposed more severe sanctions on everyone found guilty of the bullying act to curb what has become a reoccurring decimal in the school.

The letter reads: “We are Solicitors to Miss. Namtira Bwala (acting through her next friend), hereinafter referred to as our client, on whose instruction we act.

“Our client and several other parents in Lead British International School have informed us and we verily believe them that this act of bullying is a reoccurring issue in the school, and despite several attempts to draw the school’s attention to it, the issue has persisted, leaving our client traumatised from the emotional and physical effect of the oppressive acts by these dare devil bullies.

“Regrettably, our client has once again, been subjected to physical attacks in the hands of these bullies, with the video of the act going viral on social media.

“Sadly, rather than address this issue head-on by imposing severe sanctions on the student bullies, the school has issued a timid statement lacking in force or recognition of the severity of the situation at hand.

“Our client completely dissociate herself from the statement issued by the school on April 22, 2024 wherein a case of battery was unconscionably referred to as an “incident between minors.

“We state that it is this type of statements, coupled with the school’s gross negligence, that has enabled the student bullies, leading to increased incidents of unchecked bullying in the school, an environment that should ordinarily be a safe space for students.

“Sequel to the foregoing, we have our client’s instruction to demand for the immediate investigation and the pronouncement of the stiffest possible sanctions in the student’s rule book, on Ms. Maryam Hassan, Miss Faliya and nine other students who have formed a cult of bullies in Lead British International School, Gwarimpa, Abuja.

“Please note that if the school fails to sanction the student bullies within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter, we have our client’s further instruction to seek an immediate and severe legal redress against Lead British International School, Gwarimpa, without further recourse to you.”

The school authorities are yet to react to the letter as of the time of fling this report.