Don Davis: Trial of Deeper Life School employees, students starts afresh

The trial of some staff members and students of Deeper Life High School, Uyo campus, who were accused of sexually abusing and starving a pupil, has started afresh at the Uyo Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

The parents of Don Davis Archibong, an eleven-year-old student of the school had instituted the lawsuit against the school principal, some staff members, and two students.

As usual, since the commencement of the case, the media has been barred from observing the proceedings.

However, the prosecuting counsel, David Okokon, who was not in court because his flight from Abuja was delayed, told Channels Television that as a result of the transfer of the former presiding magistrate, and because the case was still at its preliminary stage, the case had to commence afresh.

He explained that in line with conventional legal practice in such circumstances, the accused persons would take their pleas afresh after which they would be admitted to the subsisting bail.

The case which has been adjourned to March 3, 2021, for the hearing has the school’s principal, Mrs Ndidi Solomon, Joseph Nseabasi, Akpan Johnson, Egor Wilson, and Joseph Ikenna as defendants.

Two minors, Shallom Ibukun and Ola Feyisetan are also among the defendants facing four counts bordering on sexual molestation, maltreatment, starvation, and negligence.