The management of Beautiful Beginning Academy in Gudu District, Abuja, has denied the bullying allegation against them. The school’s principal, Aaron Ikpe, refuted the claim, stating that the students were engaged in a playful performance. According to Ikpe, the school has an open policy that allows students to share any concerns with the authorities.
Recall that in a video clip that went viral on Monday, a group of students was bullying an alleged SS2 student identified as Imtiyas. A chain was tied around his neck by the alleged bullies, and he was ordered to lie on the floor.
Going further, the principal said “Categorically, I will state that there was no bullying case here at the BBA. There is no bullying case whatsoever. Whatever you saw, I will personally say that it was a make-believe, you know? So, there was no case of bullying.
“I will put it straight to you, and I can give you reasons. We were in school at the time. And the way we run our school, we operate an open-door policy. Students, even from the nursery, come to the MD’s office, to the principal’s office, to express any concerns they might have. We don’t have that kind of bureaucracy. So, if there was any bullying at all, at least one student would have heard about it and reported it to us.
“It wasn’t a case of bullying. They staged a play. Interestingly, they did it in their hostel, and there were other students around watching. So, if it was bullying, are you telling me that those other students watched this ‘play’ and none of them came to report it to us? That in itself proves it was a play.”
He added “The students did it innocently, though perhaps taken to a certain level. Interestingly, let me tell you, the students actually arranged for the tablet they used to record it. The tablet is usually given to them during learning hours and later retrieved.”
