The Lead British International School, Abuja which was shut down on Tuesday over a viral troubling student bullying scandal, is owned by Osun State member of House of representatives, Busayo Oluwole Oke (Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency).
Oke is chairman and proprietor of the school.
The Lead British International School, Abuja has other branches in Osogbo, Port-Harcourt, and Ibadan. And the other branches are still running.
And following the viral bullying incident, multiple videos depicting students from the school engaging in assaults against their peers emerged and quickly spread across social media platforms.
Meanwhile, the culprit who struck the victim Namtira Bwala 18 times, Mariam Hassan, has tendered a heartfelt apology to the victim and the general public.
The incident, which gained widespread attention after the video surfaced online showing Mariam bullying her fellow student, Namtira Bwala. The video sparked outrage across social media platforms on Tuesday, prompting calls for accountability and justice.
However, in a video shared by X user #SarkinMota_AMF, on Tuesday, April 23, Mariam claimed that she wished it never happened.
She said: “My name is Mariam Hassan, and I am sincerely sorry for what I did to Namtira, I am also apologising to you people outside, I am sincerely sorry, I wish this never happened.”
Earlier, the authorities of the school had issued a statement on Tuesday confirming that an investigation into the bullying incident was underway.
Furthermore, during a press briefing attended by parents at the school premises, it was announced that the school would temporarily close for three days to address the situation comprehensively.
One of the videos showed four female students striking another female student on her cheek as she sat defenseless. They repeatedly asked, “Who is the boy? What is the boy’s name?” while hitting her repeatedly.
In a different video, the girl found herself standing defenseless while another student repeatedly struck her. “Who shattered my heart?” she inquired, punctuating her question with blows to the face. Throughout all the footage, the assaulted girl remained silent, absorbing each blow without fighting back.
Reacting to the incident via a statement on Tuesday signed by the Head of the School, Abraham Ogunkanmbi, the school stated that the school has initiated an investigation and appointed a dedicated team to conduct a ‘thorough inquiry’ into the matter.
He stated that the team is presently collecting information, which involves analyzing video footage and interviewing witnesses, in order to comprehend the entire situation and determine both the immediate and underlying factors contributing to the incident.
According to the statement, “Lead British International School, Abuja is deeply concerned about the recent incident of bullying that has come to light, and want to assure our school community and the public, that we are taking this matter very seriously. We are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students.
“Hence, upon learning of the incident, we initiated the process of reaching out to the victim and family with a view to providing support, including access to counseling services to help them cope with the emotional and psychological impact of the incident.
“We want to reassure our school community and the public that we are taking all necessary steps to address this isolated incident and prevent a recurrence. We are committed to fostering a culture of kindness, respect, and empathy at Lead British International School Abuja, where every student feels safe, valued, and respected.
“LBIS appeals to members of the public, especially citizen journalists on social media, to refrain from further circulating the horrendous video of the incident, to protect the minors involved and their families.”
