A 46-year-old teacher, Ikenna Ekwenam, on Wednesday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly breaking the arm of a 10-year-old student while flogging him for arriving late for a make-up test.

Ekwenam, who lives in Mushin, Lagos State, is being tried for assault.

The defendant committed the offence on Nov. 22 at CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos.

The prosecutor, ASP Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court that the defendant unlawfully assaulted the boy by flogging him with a cane which resulted in severe injuries.

“The defendant, an agriculture science teacher, beat the Junior Secondary School (JSS 2) boy for failing to be punctual for a make-up test.

“When his mother came to pick him, she discovered that her son had been physical abused and severally injured.

“The mother took him to a hospital for treatment, where medical reports revealed that the boy had dislocation on his left elbow bone,” Ayorinde said.

The prosecutor said that the case was reported to the police who then arrested the defendant.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section prescribes three years’ jail term for assault.

Following his plea of not guilty, the magistrate, Mrs B.O. Osunsanmi, released him on bail of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Osunsanmi said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

She fixed further hearing in the case for March 2, 2020. (NAN)