A teacher at the Central Primary School Karabonde, Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State, has been accused of defiling 14 pupils of the school.

Grade 2 teacher, Alhaji Usman Galadima, is said to have abused the girls sexually after which he threatened to kill them if they spoke about it.

However, in July, two of the pupils reported to the school’s headmistress, Hajiya Maimunat Tanko, that their teacher had molested them.

The headmistress reported to the headmaster, Mallam Abdullahi Toure, who then summoned the accused teacher.

However, Alhaji Galadima denied the students’ claims.

With time, more students in grade 2 opened up that they had been abused by Galadima and the school started investigating the matter.

Galadima continued to maintain his innocence until a delegation sent by Bà Karabonde, the traditional head of Karabonde, arrived at the school to complain that some girls from grades 2 and 3 of the school had told their parents that they were touched by Alhaji Galadima.

The kids claimed Galadima told them to come to school very early and he took advantage of their early arrival to assault them.

After the delegation arrived at the school, Galadima capitulated and confessed to assaulting only one of the girls.

The matter angered members of the community who stormed the school with weapons, asking for Galadima, who had been smuggled out of the school by this time.

The case was transferred to the Borgu Emirate Council and Galadima was promised leniency if he confessed. 

With time, Galadima changed his statement multiple times, claiming he only abused two of the girls before later admitting to abusing 5 of them.

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So far, 14 girls have come forward, with some revealing how Alhaji Galadima asked them to kiss him and play with his male member. Others said he raped them.

The girls were taken to the hospital when it was discovered that the teacher who molested them is HIV positive.

A source, whose relatives are among the abused pupils, told LIB that families of the victims are worried the children may not get justice as it appears some elders in New Bussa community are trying to protect the accused.

He added that after the girls were taken to the hospital for tests to determine if Alhaji Galadima infected them with HIV, the hospital failed to give the families the results of the test and only prescribed drugs for the kids.

At the moment, Galadima’s whereabouts remain unknown, according to Daily Star. 

Alhaji Usman Galadima was expected to make an appearance on Friday, August 27, after the case was forwarded to the security but he didn’t show up.

A New Bussa man named Ruwa who promised to produce Alhaji Usman Galadima on Friday didn’t fulfill his promise.

Families of the abused children are demanding justice and are calling on NGOs and concerned organizations to see that this case isn’t swept under the rug.