Agency report

A 47-year-old man has lost his life for standing up to a school bus driver who allegedly defiled his seven-year-old daughter.

The deceased, identified simply as Federick, died on the school premises in a scuffle with the driver, known as Jacob.

Frederick had gone to meet the school’s management in the company of his widow and their daughter to narrate their daughter’s experience with Jacob and to ask for immediate action.

After he died in the scuffle, Jacob absconded from the scene, leading to a manhunt by the police.

The spokesman for the police in Lagos State, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incident and said the police were on the trail of the driver and would not relent until he is brought to book.

Frederick’s widow had told the News Agency of Nigeria that her daughter narrated to her how Jacob had been taking her to his house at Ajuwon in Ogun to molest her.

She said she narrated the same report to her deceased husband after which, he called the school and was asked to come so that the matter could be settled.

“On Wednesday, February 1, my daughter told me that her school bus driver had been taking her to his house at Ajuwon, on the pretext that he needed to drop something at home and that she should follow him.

“When they entered the house, the driver would ask my daughter to sit on his lap; to raise her school uniform and to kiss him on his mouth.

“I told my husband what our daughter said on Monday, February 6, and he immediately called the school to lodge a complaint and said he was also reporting the allegation to the police.

“He was told to come to the school first so we went there on Tuesday, February 7 and we met the school owner, the driver and some of the teachers.

“The school owner after listening to us, confronted the driver, saying that he had returned late with the school bus the previous week and when asked, he said he had gone to drop something at home.

“He was later asked about the allegations levelled against him, but he denied it. My daughter was then asked and she narrated the same experience she told us at home.

“The driver couldn’t say anything other than to query, me’?me’?, `me’?

“My husband who was visibly angry went to the driver and shouted at him to question why he had molested his daughter.

“My husband angrily slapped the driver and they started fighting during which he pushed my husband on his chest. He fell and efforts to revive him were abortive.

“We rushed him to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead,’’ the widow said.

She added that Jacob absconded after the incident and she subsequently reported the matter at Iju Police Station.

The school’s director, declined to speak on the matter saying that he was assisting the police in hunting for Jacob, the school bus driver that absconded.

NAN