The Niger State Ministry of Education has ordered the Vice Principal of Government Day Secondary School, Tunga, Niger State, Mohammed Mohammed, who impregnated his 16-year-old pupil, Faith Galadima, to take care of her and her baby for three years.
Punch reports that the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Yahaya Garba, on Wednesday said the accused had not been promoted or transferred by the ministry, adding that the ministry was not shielding him from prosecution.
Garba noted that Mohammed had been suspended from the school, while 50 per cent of his salary was being withheld pending the outcome of the case in court.
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He said, “As a ministry, we did not want to make any public announcement of our stand, but because the issue has gone viral, we have to come out to state our stand. I will like to say that the Niger State Ministry of Education is not in any way shielding Mallam Mohammed. When the case got to us, we directed the state secondary education board to set up a seven-man committee.
“Based on the recommendation of the committee and the acceptance by Mohammed that he committed the crime, the Ministry of Education has placed him on half salary.
“We have also mandated Mohammed to take up the upkeep of both mother and child for three years. Mohammed has not been promoted or posted anywhere. He is still serving his suspension. The ministry will finally decide on his case after the court has concluded deliberation on it.”
The permanent secretary further stated that the willingness of the ministry to pay the money needed to carry out the DNA test was to expedite the case in court.
Our correspondent had reported that Galadima was impregnated by her vice principal and her family had cried out for assistance from the state government after she gave birth, as they alleged that the accused had abandoned them.
The victim and her family had claimed that the vice principal had fled and his whereabouts unknown.