SS3 pupil death: Police to declare teacher who sent him to pluck fruits wanted

The teacher, who allegedly asked the late Senior Prefect of Ijo Mimo High School, Akure, Temitayo Oluwole, to pluck mango from a tree, which led to his death, has been asked to come out of hiding by the police.

 The deceased was alleged to have been sent to pluck the mango by one of his teachers, Mrs Kura, in the school after their tutorials Saturday afternoon.

It was gathered that the suspect whose whereabouts remained unknown after the incident is the Physics teacher for the Senior Secondary 3 class in the school.

The threat to declare her wanted by Ondo Police Command was timely as it saved the disruption of academic activities in the school, yesterday, as the students mobilised to mob their teachers over the death of their senior perfect, which they described as unacceptable.

The death of Temitayo was said to be the fourth after three other students fell from the mysterious mango tree and died after being asked to pluck the fruits by teachers in the school.

Previous deaths, it was gathered, have been concealed by the school authorities from the public as they always settle with the parents of the victims.

The late Temitayo had last Saturday gone for tutorials in the school and after the session was allegedly asked by the female teacher to help her pluck some mangoes.

 Temitayo reportedly slipped on the mango tree, fell and hit his head on the ground and rushed to three separate hospitals before he gave up the ghost at Trauma centre in Ondo town.

Teacher’s whereabouts unknown Speaking in Akure, the state police image maker, Femi Joseph, said the command would declare the suspect wanted if she failed to show up at the police station for interrogation.

Joseph said the whereabouts of the female teacher had remained unknown since the incident happened last weekend.

 He said the Principal of the school, Mr Olaoye, had been quizzed after he was invited by the state police command. He said; “We would declare the female teacher wanted if she failed to show up today (yesterday) to tell us her own side of the story.

The school principal had volunteered a statement to us and we are yet to see the female teacher who asked the deceased to help her pluck the mangoes.

 “Our detectives visited the school and if not for our timely intervention the students were about to mob the teachers. “We succeeded in calming their frayed nerves and normalcy had returned to the school.

But we are still expecting the female teacher who sent the boy to help her pluck mangoes before he died.

 The police Image maker said the father of the deceased had written a statement and that investigation had commenced.

Reports had it that the state government had waded into the matter by instructing the relevant authorities to investigate the death of the senior boy.

 The Education Commissioner, Pastor Femi Agagu, confirmed that the Education ministry had sent representatives of relevant education agencies, associations and bodies to the deceased parents and the school.

Agagu assured that the matter would be thoroughly investigated by his ministry.

 The commissioner, who described the death as “an unfortunate situation, said the government would get to the root of the incident in a bid to guide against future occurrence

 The father of the deceased, Pastor Bode Adegoke, said that “as a man of God I have left everything to God.

 The Ministry of Education has taken over the matter so please speak with them.” On when it was likely that the deceased would be buried, he said that as soon as the Ministry of Education is ready.

 Efforts to speak with the school principal, Mr Olaoye, were abortive as he was said to have been directed by the Education Ministry not to grant press interview.