Police arrest guardian for injuring pupil, another for arson in Ogun

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a woman, Fatimah Odeale, for inflicting injuries on a 10-year-old pupil, Olasunkanmi Oluwadamilare, a student of Dinamis Private School in Obada Oko, Abeokuta.

Odeale, who resides in the housing area of Obada Oko, reportedly admitted to using a razor blade to punish the boy, claiming he had stolen N600 to buy ice cream for his friends.

The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident yesterday, stating that members of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools in Obada Oko, led by their coordinator, Mr Olagbegi Moses, brought the injured boy to the police station on January 13, 2025.

The victim, who sustained severe cuts on his hands, identified Odeale as the perpetrator during questioning. Odutola said: “Odeale admitted to using a razor blade to inflict the wounds as punishment for the alleged theft.”

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Lanre Ogunlowo, has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident, adding that the case highlights concerns about negative parenting.

In a related development, the police also arrested a man, Nurudeen Oseni, from Omi-Adio, Oyo State, for an act of arson that destroyed his neighbour’s property.

The neighbour, Yinka Dolamu, a 33-year-old resident of Ifalagba CDA in Kila, near Orile Ilugun, lodged the complaint. Dolamu told the police he was informed while in church with his family around 4:30 p.m. that his house was on fire.

According to the police, investigations revealed that Oseni had unintentionally started the fire while clearing a bush near his construction site. The flames spread uncontrollably, engulfing Dolamu’s property.

The Divisional Police Officer of Orile Ilugun led a team to the scene, but by the time they arrived, the fire had destroyed the house and all its contents. “The complainant was too shocked to assess the extent of the damage,” the police said.

Oseni later turned himself in at the station and is currently in custody. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.

Both cases are ongoing, and the police have assured the public of updates as investigations progress.