Rivers State Schools Under Scrutiny: 15 Deaths, 54 Abuse Cases Spark Urgent Child Safety Reforms
An official state report reveals a crisis of violence and exploitation in private educational institutions, prompting a major intervention from child protection authorities.
Port Harcourt, Nigeria – A shocking report from the Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women and Children has exposed a severe child protection crisis within the state’s private school system. The data, released during the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, documents 54 cases of violence against children in schools and 15 deaths linked to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in a single year.
A System in Crisis: From Classrooms to “Torture Centers”
Team Coordinator Tombari Dumka-Kote delivered a stark assessment, stating some schools have devolved into “torture centers for children.” The figures are part of a broader, alarming trend: over the past 12 months, the state recorded 1,053 GBV cases, with defilement, rape, spousal abuse, abandonment, and child labor constituting 72% of the total.
The report moves beyond statistics to highlight specific, harrowing incidents. One case involved a pupil at Happy Day International School, Rumunduru, who was allegedly given 105 strokes of the cane by the school’s proprietress, Mrs. Gift Felix Nwoko. According to Dumka-Kote, this brutal punishment was retaliation after the child reported being sexually abused by a teacher to her mother.
Retaliation and Institutional Failure
This case underscores a disturbing pattern identified by the Response Team: the intimidation and blackmail of parents by some school owners. Instead of supporting traumatized survivors and cooperating with investigations, certain proprietors are allegedly obstructing justice. This creates a climate of fear that silences victims and shields perpetrators.
“The responsibility is also on parents to ensure they do their fact checks to be sure their children and wards are not handed to abusers, molesters and traffickers in the name of school enrollment,” Dumka-Kote advised, emphasizing shared accountability in child safety.
Pathway to Justice: Investigations and School Closures
In response to the crisis, the Response Team has announced a decisive action plan. It will collaborate with the State Ministry of Education to identify and shut down schools deemed unsafe for children. Dumka-Kote affirmed that every institution linked to abuse allegations will face thorough investigation, with prosecutions to follow for those found culpable.
The coordinator’s message to school owners was unequivocal: “The Team is committed to ensuring justice, leaving no stone unturned in the process.” He urged students to continue breaking the silence by confiding in trusted adults, a critical step in disrupting cycles of abuse.
Broader Implications for Educational Governance
This scandal raises urgent questions about oversight and licensing for private schools in Nigeria. Dumka-Kote’s statement that “people who lack character and are not familiar with child protection protocols must not be allowed to own or run schools” points to a systemic regulatory failure. It suggests that economic opportunity has, in some instances, trumped child welfare in the expansion of private education.
The planned partnership with the Ministry of Education indicates a shift towards a more stringent, safety-first regulatory model. The success of this intervention will likely serve as a test case for other Nigerian states grappling with similar, though less publicized, challenges in educational settings.
Primary Source: This report is based on information originally published by The Independent Nigeria.