The Chairman, Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission, Babatunde Abegunde, said on Tuesday that the commission had dismissed a secondary school teacher, Mr Gbenga Owoosi, for allegedly impregnating a 17-year-old pupil.

Abegunde said TESCOM, on getting a hint about the development, carried out a thorough investigation and followed the due process before arriving at the decision to dismiss the teacher.

The TESCOM boss, who said the dismissal would serve as a deterrent to others, who might want to indulge in such a “depraved and unethical” act, praised the state government for swinging into action by arresting Owoosi.

He assured members of the public that Ekiti values would be restored by the Governor Kayode Fayemi administration by ensuring justice and bringing offenders to justice without hesitation.

Owoosi, who was until his dismissal, a Grade Level 10 Economics teacher at the Alarelu Comprehensive High School, Igbara Odo-Ekiti, in the Ekiti South West Local Government Area of the state, was alleged to have impregnated the SS3 pupil.

A TESCOM board member, who is also the Chairman of the six-member Disciplinary Committee that investigated the matter, Princess Jumoke Owoola, described the indicted teacher as “a bad egg capable of contaminating his pupils and fellow teachers.”

The disciplinary committee stressed that the case of the dismissed teacher was treated in accordance with the state Public Service Rules, 2017, and the Ekiti State Teaching Service Manual, which recommended dismissal as the ultimate penalty for serious misconduct and criminal offences of such magnitude.

The committee also recommended that all teachers should be sensitised to the Gender-Based Violence Prohibition Law, 2019, and other related issues and that schools should be well monitored with emphasis on moral norms and ethical standards that could uplift TESCOM in line with the Fayemi administration’s objective of restoring the Ekiti values.

It also recommended that guidance and counselling unit of schools be re-organised to meet the day-to-day challenges of pupils in line with modern society and school activities.

Suspected kidnappers on Monday night abducted four Rufus Giwa Polytechnic graduates on their way to Zamfara State for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp, it was learnt on Tuesday.

The victims made up of three male and a female were kidnapped around Funtua in Katsina State at about 11:30 pm by armed men who laid a siege to the road.

As a result of this action, security officials renewed their advice to commuters to avoid night travels especially in areas where there are security threats.

It was gathered that the victims and some of their school mates who were posted to Zamfara State were travelling on a chartered bus from Owo, Ondo State to the campsite ahead of yesterday’s opening of the orientation camp.

While some of the occupants were able to escape and hide in the surrounding bush, the kidnapped four were not as fortunate as the armed men whisked them away.

It was gathered that one of the occupants, who escaped, contacted the parents of some of the victims to notify them of the incident.

She also went to the police station to the incident.

It was gathered that the kidnappers, who could only speak Hausa, have established contact with some relatives of the victims but there were hiccups because neither side had a translator.

“The graduated students chartered a bus from Owo to Zamfara State where they were posted for NYSC.

“The bus was to take them directly to the camp. Their families last heard from them around 4 pm on Monday when they got to Zaria only for Tolu to call Tuesday morning that kidnappers attacked them and took four persons.

“No ransom has been demanded yet but the kidnappers have contacted some of the parents but because they were speaking Hausa, there wasn’t much communication.

“We are appealing to security agencies to rescue these children safe and the government has to direct NYSC to reconsider posting prospective corps members to areas their lives will be endangered,” said a source.

Police spokesman DCP Frank Mba said the Katsina State command had commenced a manhunt for the suspects with a view to rescuing the victims unhurt.

He said: “It is true. Four of them were kidnapped around 11:30 pm. The command has launched a manhunt for their captors in order to ensure their safe rescue. The command is making progress in its investigation and operation.”

The Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Obudu division in northern Cross River, Mr. Gabriel Amawu has been shot dead.

Mr. Amawu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police also hails from that local government, which is also the origin of the Governor of Cross River State, Benedict Ayade.

He was shot dead at the police station Tuesday night, sources said.

According to CrossRiverWatch (not ABN TV), some youths and students of the Federal College of Education, Obudu were celebrating an end to their examinations when Mr. Amawu, suspecting criminal activity, made some arrests.

This is said to have led others to proceed to the Police station where a rowdy session led to a police officer discharging his weapon in the air.

It is still unclear how Mr. Amawu whom initial reports say was shot in the head, took a bullet.

More details later…