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LASG shuts school, proprietor, teachers, and others in police custody
By Gabriel Dike
The Lagos State government has clamped down on a Montessori school, Smiley Kids Montessori, Heritage Place Estate, Sangotedo, Lagos, following the death of a two-year-old female pupil, Miss Rapheala Ogbodo, in its swimming pool.
The state government on Friday placed the school under lock and key as it begins a preliminary investigation to ascertain the root cause of the drowning of the 2-year-old pupil.
A statement by the Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Kayode Sutton, said the state government extends deep condolences to the family of the victim and reiterates its commitment to preventing future occurrences.
Sutton disclosed that the proprietor of the yet-to-be-approved school, Mr. Thomas Ayodele, Head of Nursery Class, Mrs. Antonia Igbafe, and the class teacher, Mrs. Helen Obhodaghe, are in police custody undergoing interrogations.
According to him, others in police custody include Mohammed Hauwa and Mohammed Habibat, both caregivers, and Mr. Udofia Ini-Obong, the pool instructor.
He said the state government appealed to school owners and caregivers, stressing that it is imperative to comply with safety regulations to prevent accidents in schools and the state in general.