Niger Police Arrest Teacher For Allegedly Defiling, Infecting 14 Pupils With HIV

A teacher with the Central Primary School, Karabonde in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, Usman Galadima, have been arrested by Police for allegedly defiling and infecting 14 pupils of the school with HIV/AIDS virus.

Besides being under arrest and being interrogated by the state police command, Niger State Government has also waded into the issue by setting up a committee to unravel the allegation levelled against him.

The committee is headed by the state Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Hanatu Jibrin Salihu.

Other members of the committee include Director of Child Rights Protection Agency, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, State Universal Basic Education, SUBEB, Board among others.

Vanguard gathered that the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, has already suspended the suspect from work pending the outcome of the investigations by both the Police and state government.

A competent source in the state Ministry of Education told our correspondent that the suspect will be handed over to the state committee for further investigation as soon as the state CID completes its interrogation.

According to the source, “already, the committee is now in Borgu on four-day fact-finding mission on the matter. The development is so pathetic and it is being taken seriously.

“He has already confessed to the crime before a committee constituted by the councils’ Education Secretary last week but we still want to dig more into the matter.”

The state Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Hanatu Jibrin Salihu, could not be reached for details.

However, the state Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the arrest.