By Adesakin Adefemi
Kwara State Polytechnic has suspended a lecturer filmed physically assaulting Interim Joint Matriculation Board candidates who arrived late for examinations, after the video sparked outrage on social media.
The viral footage, which surfaced Monday, showed the lecturer caning several candidates who were kneeling with their hands raised while taking turns to receive strokes of the cane on their palms.
The incident drew widespread condemnation online, with Nigerians questioning the use of corporal punishment in tertiary institutions and demanding disciplinary action against the lecturer involved.
NANS President, Comr. Akinteye Babatunde, described the act as unacceptable. “A lecturer in Kwara State Polytechnic asked IJMB students to kneel down and he beat them up with a cane. Such act is condemnable. Students are not animals and should never be treated as such,” he wrote.
Reacting Monday, the polytechnic’s Public Relations Officer, Halimat Garba, clarified that those in the video were not regular polytechnic students but IJMB candidates who reportedly arrived late for their ongoing examinations.
“While the intention for which the action was done is not yet known, we must emphasize that the approach taken was wholly inappropriate, as the Polytechnic stands firmly against any form of violence or physical punishment as a means of discipline,” the statement read.
The institution stressed that education should be rooted in respect, understanding and constructive guidance, and that there are more humane ways to instill discipline in students.
Announcing disciplinary action, Kwara Poly management said the concerned lecturer had been suspended from duties pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter.
“We appreciate the concerns raised by stakeholders and assure the public that the matter is being taken very seriously,” the statement added, as management said steps were being determined to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
