FACT CHECK: Did Teacher Fatai Adegoke die from injuries sustained from students' violence?

FACT CHECK: Did Teacher Fatai Adegoke die from injuries sustained from students’ violence?

Khalid ABRAHAM

It’s no longer news that a teacher in a secondary school in Ogbomoso North local government area of Oyo state, Mr. Fatai Adegoke, passed away two days ago aged 57. What however has been generating ripples is a trending report that he died from complications resulting from injuries he allegedly sustained from attacks from some unruly students in his school, Soun High School.

In a condolence message allegedly posted in the social media by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Ogbomoso zone, it is stated, “With bitterness of heart , the entire NUT , Ogbomoso zone regret the passing away of our brother Mr Adegoke fatai who was Bitten mercilessly by the Students in his school ,he tried to Stop them while gambling at the back of a class during the School hours.I Stand as an advocate for him .Pls NUT Ogbomoso zone ,TESCOM Ogbomoso zone , Our brother died suddenly due to serious injuries he sustained the Students broke his arm and leg. , but eventually died at the hospital . Will you fold your hands and the Students laugh at entire teaching Populace.The Students and the Parents Should be jailed.”

The late Mr. Adegoke on a hospital bed

The message which obviously is calling teachers to action against the alleged culprits and their parents, according to investigations by ogbomosoinsightonline.com, has attracted the interest of the leadership of NUT outside the city and other stakeholders, demanding to know the truth.

Meanwhile, Ogbomoso Insight spoke with the principal of Soun High School, Mr. Adeyinka Ajayi, during which he narrated what actually happened.

Mr. Ajayi assumed duty as principal in the school early this year, he disclosed.

According to him, “The late Mr. Fatai Adegoke usually took permission to go to the hospital for medical check up, twice in a week. I was informed he once was involved in a ghastly accident which left many occupants of the bus dead. He sustained hand injuries too, which l think did not completely heal.

“So, at least twice in a week he would visit hospital. That had been going on until one day he was moving round in the school and saw some students playing cards in an unoccupied classroom. Instinctively, he shouted at them, threatened and called them over. Not one who usually beat students the severity of the misdemeanour of the students might have gotten a better of him, he raised a hand to beat them one by one, and l learned one of the students blocked the cane. That was all. Within minutes, the hand had swollen up l think the location of his hand injury. He went to the hospital.

“He was attended to, but later l got to know he visited some private home where they claimed to re-set the bone and was admitted there. When l heard l advised him to return to the Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso. We raised money among ourselves in the school to assist him. His wife is in the second school in the same premises, Soun Secondary School, and l also learned similar contribution was made.

“However, at the hospital, we discovered his bones had become brittle, breaking at various points. I approached a doctor at the hospital who told me he had bone marrow cancer, that the stem cells had been affected. I said what was the chance of survival and he said it was 50 – 50 if bone marrow transplant was even done. So, that is what l knew,” Ajayi concluded.

Confirming the incident Comrade Binuyo Foluke Adedoyin NUT chairman Ogbomoso North local government told Ogbomoso Insight that it was not a case of being beaten by any student.

Comrade Adedoyin who said the earlier social media post alleging the deceased was “mercilessly beaten” by students, did not emanate from the union noted proper tests were not conducted from the very beginning saying that complicated the condition. “It had nothing to do with students. That he wanted to beat students was a mere coincidence,” she insisted.

Note: The story has been updated after Comrade Adedoyin was spoken with.