Parents of Don-Davis Archibong, a Junior Secondary School 1 pupil of Deeper Life High School in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, who was allegedly molested and assaulted, have demanded the sum of N100 million as compensation from the school.
Deborah Okezie, mother of the 11-year-old pupil, had made the headlines after alleging that her son came back from the school sick, emotionally unstable and with torn anus, showing he had been abused.
According to Vanguard newspaper, Deborah and Iniobong Archibong (Don-Davis’ parents), in a letter addressed to the school through their solicitors, Eagle-Eyes Network Chambers, and signed by David Okokon (Esq), are requesting for N100 million in damages for the pain and trauma caused to their son.
The letter, addressed to the Principal of the school, was titled “Gross Child abuse, palpable molestation, serial bullying, criminal starvation, malicious oppression, and dubious maltreatment of master Don-Davies Archibong (11 years old) by the Principal and Boarding Master of Deeper Life Secondary School, Uyo”.
In the letter which was dated December 22, 2020, the school was given 21 days on receipt of the letter to pay the N100 million.
The letter reads in part, “We are solicitors for Mr and Mrs Iniobong Archibong, resident in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State hereinafter referred to as our client. We have the firm explicit and unequivocal instructions to write to you on the above subject matter.
“It is indeed provocatively heartbroken, morally suicidal, religiously hypocritical that our clients’ 11-year-old son was torrentially bombarded with physical, and inhuman torture of debilitating dimensions with resultant castration of his human person, dignity, and childhood innocence.
“We respectfully demand the payment of N100,000,000 within 21 days upon the receipt of this letter as compensation to assuage the dehumanising, horrendous torture and indignity our clients’ son was subjected to and for his medical checkup and medication.”
The Akwa Ibom State government had earlier announced its decision to withdraw from investigating the matter, leaving it in the hands of the police and other relevant bodies.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, made this known in a statement on Thursday.
He appealed to the public to exercise patience for a thorough investigation to be carried out by the police and other relevant institutions.
Ememobong also said the state government would upon receipt of the report, take necessary actions.