The family of Ms. Namitra Bwala, a student of Lead British International School, Gwarinpa, Abuja, has filed a civil suit against the school following a viral video showing Ms. Bwala being bullied by her fellow students.
The family is seeking N500 million in damages and a public apology in two national dailies for the school’s failure to provide a safe learning environment for their daughter.
According to Marvin Omorogbe, the founding partner of the law firm representing Bwala, on Monday, the legal action aims to hold the school accountable for its negligent conduct regarding the highly publicised incident.
The lawsuit, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, alleges that the school failed to prevent the assault, inform her parents immediately, and carry out an investigation until the video became viral on social media while she was under the school’s supervision.
The lawsuit states, “An order directing the Defendant to pay the Claimant the sum of N500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) as general damages for the Defendant’s breach of the duty of care it owes to the Claimant, and its negligent conduct in failing to prevent the assault, torment, emotional distress, pain, trauma and breach of privacy suffered by the Claimant while under the Defendant’s custody and supervision.”
The incident came to light when videos of the bullying were posted on social media, showing Ms. Bwala being slapped repeatedly by another student and being subjected to emotional distress.
The family’s legal action underscores the growing concern over bullying in schools and the need for institutions to take proactive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of their students.
