Tragedy struck in the Uselu community of Egor Local Government Area, Edo State, as a 12-year-old student, Master Nathan Paul Spencer, lost his life after being swept away by floodwaters while on his way to sit for the Middle Basic Assessment Examination.
Confirming the heartbreaking incident on Monday, July 7, the Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, announced decisive actions taken by the government in response.
Two private schools have had their operational licences withdrawn, and four schools in total have been shut down — two due to their connection to Nathan’s death, and the others for extorting over 200 pupils through illegal fees.
Dr. Iyamu, during a condolence visit to the bereaved family, explained that preliminary investigations revealed negligence on the part of the boy’s school.
He disclosed that Nathan, a resident of Ovia Local Government Area, had been registered to write his examination at a different school located in Egor Local Government — a decision made without the knowledge or consent of his parents.
“It was uncovered that the head of the boy’s school collected the examination registration fee from his parents but secretly registered him to write the exam in a distant centre in Egor.
“It was while trying to reach this unfamiliar location that Nathan was caught in a heavy downpour and fell into an open drainage, where he drowned,” the commissioner explained.
In addition to withdrawing the licences of the implicated schools, the head teacher of Nathan’s school has been arrested and is currently in custody as investigations continue.
Dr. Iyamu stressed that the state government is committed to ensuring that those responsible face full disciplinary and legal consequences.
“The government will not tolerate negligence, especially when it endangers the lives of children entrusted to educational institutions. Further actions will be taken against the management of these schools to serve as a deterrent,” he stated.
During the visit, Mr. Paul Spencer, father of the deceased, expressed shock and grief, stating that he had no knowledge his son was to write the exam at a centre far from home. He, however, thanked the Edo State Government for the support shown during his family’s time of sorrow.