CONTROVERSY has trailed the death of a secondary school teacher in Anambra State, Miss Rita Odilinye of Starlight Secondary School, Ogidi in Idemili North local government area following reports that she was killed by the mother and a relation of her schoolgirl who she allegedly flogged for not carrying out her duty. Miss Odilinye was until her death, an Igbo language teacher and class mistress in the school.
A source in the school said the teacher come to the school only to discover that her class was not swept and when she asked the students in the class why the class was not swept, she was informed that it was the turn of one Chinaza Okafor to sweep the class. The source said: “The students told her that Chinaza, who was supposed to sweep the class before going home the previous day after school dismissal as they used to do, did not sweep it. ” And when queried by the teacher, she proved stubborn in her response which angered the teacher and she flogged her. “As she was being flogged, she ran out of the class and scaled the school fence since the gate was locked. She made straight to their house where she reported to her mother that she was flogged by her teacher for not sweeping the classroom. “Furiously, the mother came to the school armed with sticks, accompanied by her daughter and one other person to revenge the flogging meted out to her daughter. “On arriving at the school, the mother could not see the teacher as she was said to have gone out to attend a meeting of private school administrators.
“Efforts made by other teachers in the school to calm down the aggrieved persons and allow the school authorities to handle the case fell on deaf ears.”
According to the source, as the aggrieved persons saw the teacher at the entrance of the school gate while she was returning from the meeting, they confronted her and during a scuffle, she slumped. It was gathered that she was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was confirmed dead. The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of the area, Mr. Mark Ijarafu who confirmed the incident, said investigation into the matter had begun. “We have arrested the mother, the daughter and one other person. The corpse of the teacher has been deposited at Iyi-Enu Hospital mortuary, while investigation is ongoing,” the DPO said.