The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned the act of bullying in schools News About Nigeria reports.
This comes after a video surfaced online where Namtira Bwala, a female student of Lead British International School, Gwarinpa, Abuja, was slapped 18 times by her fellow student.
In a statement on Thursday, the Executive Secretary, of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, noted that the issue bordered on cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, and showcased a lack of respect for the dignity of the human person as well as learning in a safe and protected environment.
He blamed the school for enabling such an attitude, maintaining that such should not have happened if appropriate measures had been put in place for a safe and conducive environment for learning.
According to him, as stipulated in the constitution, every Nigerian individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, in addition to not being subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or punishment.
“The alarming incident which has attracted widespread condemnation across the country is a matter of concern that borders on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, respect for the dignity of the human person as well as learning in a safe and protected environment.
“As cited in Section 34 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, every Nigerian individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person and accordingly (a) No person shall be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” he said.
Ojukwu further disclosed that the incident has the potential to lead to mental health issues, low self-esteem, and even suicide, as the case may be.
He therefore urged school proprietors to put measures in place to prevent the re-occurrence of similar situations, including installing CCTV cameras in appropriate places, as well as putting in place a whistleblower system for reporting bullying and inappropriate conduct in schools.
