How Dishonest Blogger Twisted Nsit Ubium School Flogging and a Plea for Mercy

A dishonest blogger, Justice Inyang, has escalated a crisis by twisting a teacher’s poor disciplinary action at Comprehensive Secondary School, Ndiya, in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area.

On February 25, George Etuk, a computer teacher at the school, used a grass-cutting knife to flog a student who spoke to him disrespectfully.

However, as the knife swung toward the student’s buttocks, he instinctively raised his hand to shield himself and was injured in the hand.

Realising the consequences of his poor disciplinary action, the teacher reportedly rushed the injured student to a nearby chemist, where he received first aid and was discharged.

However, angered by the incident, a group of youths gathered at the chemist and attempted to lynch the teacher.

He was only spared by some community members who realised that he was remorseful for his action and did not deliberately set out to injure the student.

But in a poorly written post riddled with grammatical errors and wild conjectures, blogger Justice Inyang spun a sensational narrative and falsely claimed that Ete Computer (Mr. Etuk) had stabbed the student for refusing to join a cult.

The misleading report quickly went viral, shared by social media influencers who failed to verify the claims with the appropriate authorities.

“The teacher use that opportunity today to machete the student during the school hours… reasons that the student insults him… and the complain has reached us that this is not the first time the same teacher has done this in school… and the school… and the school management has done nothing about it…please with due respect I’m inviting the Government of Akwa Ibom State… the State Secondary Education Board…The Human Rights to get into this matter before the teacher kill any student in the campus or initiating more students into cultism please …. Because I see no reason why a teacher use machete on students rather than ken…(Ikpa)…. please…,” wrote blogger Inayng.

While it is true that the teacher used a grass-cutting knife instead of a cane to discipline the student, witnesses and other credible sources have confirmed that the school has no record of cultism or any cult-related crisis.

Sensing the backlash over his false claims, Justice Inyang swiftly deleted his post against the computer teacher and disabled the WhatsApp number linked to his Facebook account.

Attempts to reach him on his verified telephone number have been unsuccessful, as calls go unanswered and text messages remain undelivered. He has also deleted the misleading report from his Facebook page.

However, the principal of the school, Uduak Afia, has refuted the blogger’s claims, saying that his Facebook post did not reflect what happened on February 25.

She was not the only one to challenge the false narrative. The Village Head of Ndiya, Etteidung Thompson James Thompson, also dismissed the blogger’s story as a fabrication.

According to Mrs. Afia, the incident began when two students got into a fight, prompting a youth corps member serving at the school to call the computer teacher’s attention to break it up.

After stopping the fight, the teacher ordered the students to return to their classroom, but two of them refused to comply. As a disciplinary measure, he instructed them to kneel.

“At that moment, one of the students who was later injured sarcastically remarked, ‘See how he is going to kill people’s children.’ The teacher, hearing the comment, demanded to know who made it. When the student was identified, he was asked to lie down while the teacher went in search of a cane to punish him.

“Unable to find one, he picked up a grass-cutting knife that was lying in the classroom and used the flat side to flog the student on the buttocks. In an attempt to shield himself, the student raised his hand and was accidentally injured.

“It was the wrong approach, but realizing the injury he had caused, the teacher immediately rushed the student to a nearby pharmacy, where he received first aid.”

Etteidung Thompson, in a telephone conversation, said the school has never had any cult-related crisis and called for the blogger to be arrested and questioned for sharing information capable of causing a breach of peace in the community.

While he condemned the teacher for using the wrong tool to discipline a child, he also noted that he had no intention of injuring the student.

“I wasn’t around when the incident happened, but I learnt that the community youth were very angry and had tried to mob the teacher. I went there and advised them not to do anything to the teacher.

“The teacher said it was a mistake and that he wanted to flog the child with a grass-cutting knife  and in the process, the child raised his hand and was injured. He pleaded that he shouldn’t be killed because it was a mistake.

“There was no cult clash in that school. If such a thing existed, I should have known because I live close to the school, and the principal is doing a good job, too. The blogger should be invited to explain where he got the cult story he shared on social media.

A plea for mercy

While many acknowledge that Mr. George made a serious mistake by using an inappropriate tool to discipline the student, they have appealed to the Governor, Pastor Umo Eno to temper justice with mercy.

Some staff members from the state ministries of justice and education have also urged that the teacher be disciplined rather than prosecuted, fearing that a court case could lead to a conviction and a prison sentence.

The Prelate of Bachelors Must Marry Ministry, Leo Umana, along with the board of elders, has intervened, pleading with the governor for clemency.

“It was very wrong for him to use a grass-cutting knife to flog the student, but we appeal to His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, to forgive him and grant him a second chance, like the father he is to all of us in the state,” Prelate Leo Umana stated.

An Elder at Large with the Ministry, Ibanga Isine, also called on the governor to show compassion while condemning the teacher’s poor judgment in using the knife.

“Your Excellency, we humbly ask you to extend your fatherly grace and forgive the teacher. He should be disciplined for his improper method of punishment, which resulted in harm to the student, but he does not deserve a jail sentence,” he pleaded.