A headteacher, an administrator and a teacher have been arrested in Ogun state, Southwest Nigeria for tying students to a cross and flogging them.
The three tied schoolchildren to crosses and whipped them for arriving late until a policeman saw the punishment and intervened.
Distressing pictures show a male and female student tied to makeshift crosses with green string – something akin to Jesus tied to the cross.
The incident happened on Wednesday as a policeman, named by Punch Nigeria as Livinus, was driving past the school.
Seeing the students tied up and being beaten, he went to the principal – named as Afolayan Joseph – and demanded the children be released.
READ: Plymouth attains new world record as Szymon Kuczynski sails the world alone
Livinus said: ‘He refused, saying there was nothing anybody could tell him that would make him to release them.
“When I tried to untie the pupils, the proprietor and his teachers beat me up.”
Before I returned from picking handcuffs from my car, they had grabbed a friend who was with me and beaten him up with a horsewhip,” he explained.
Eventually, with help from passersby, Livinus said he was able to arrest Joseph and two others who have not been named.
A police spokesman said: “I don’t see any offence that a secondary school pupil will commit that will make someone to tie him or her and be flogging them in public.
“The act is no longer a corrective measure; it is a barbaric act and it will not be allowed in the 21st century.”
