Over the last 18 to 24 months, Nigeria has witnessed a troubling rise in cases where parents, relatives or hired assailants physically attacked teachers following allegations of discipline by students.
These incidents, recorded across multiple states, including Ondo, Rivers, Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory, typically, begin with a disciplinary episode, often caning, scolding or confiscation of a student’s property, especially phones that is either filmed or widely reported.
Parents, perceiving that teachers have physically harmed their children, sometimes escalate matters by confronting school staff, besieging school premises, or in extreme cases, physically assaulting the teachers involved.
One of the most widely publicised cases occurred in Akure, Ondo State in May 2025 when a vice-principal identified in reports as Mr Rotifa, confiscated a student’s phone after he allegedly attempted to cheat during the WASSCE examinations.
The incident escalated when the student’s mother allegedly hired men to waylay a police van, drag the vice principal out and beat him severely, resulting in his hospitalisation. The Ondo State Ministry of Education subsequently pledged to pursue the attackers and implement additional safety measures for staff during examinations.
This incident led the federal government, through the Ministry of Education to issue a statement condemning the incident
The director of press and public relations, Folasade Boriowo, said the ministry, under the leadership of the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, had zero tolerance for examination malpractice, intimidation of school staff and any form of unethical conduct by students, parents or guardians.
‘Any student found engaging in examination malpractice will face sanction in line with the national examination guidelines. Furthermore, any parent or guardian who enables, supports or participates in such criminal behaviour will be prosecuted under the law,’ she said.
Similarly, in Port Harcourt in May 2024, relatives of a Junior Secondary School 1 student reportedly stormed Silver Bird International School at Agip, Mile 4 and assaulted a female teacher identified in coverage as Sonia Amadi, after she disciplined a child.
The assailants allegedly locked the school’s administrative officer in an office before other parents intervened to stop further violence. Police reports indicated that the teacher received medical attention and the school filed an official complaint with law enforcement agents.
While some incidents involved alleged teacher-on-pupil violence rather than assaults on teachers, they have contributed to heightened parental anxieties; and in some cases, fuelled the perception that formal complaint channels are ineffective. In May 2024, for instance, authorities in Anambra arrested a 30-year-old teacher, Faith Nwonye after the allegation that she beat a Primary 2 pupil into coma.
The state government ordered the immediate closure of the reported illegal school pending investigation. The Commissioner for Education, Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, described the operation of illegal schools and the beating of a child as criminal.
Although this case involved the teacher allegedly harming a student, it has been cited as a contributing factor to why some parents bypass formal processes and resort to violent interventions.
In the Federal Capital Territory, a widely circulated video from Starville College in Jahi, showed a teacher being assaulted by both parents of a student after admitting to slapping him for pushing him. The incident quickly drew national attention, spreading across social media platforms and prompting discussions about the safety of teachers and the limit of classroom discipline.
According to the chief executive officer of Educare, Alex Onyia, the incident began when the teacher asked the student to join others in line, but the boy refused and behaved unruly.
‘The student immediately pushed the teacher twice, which resulted in the slapping,’ Onyia explained.
Following the altercation, the school took disciplinary action against the teacher, deducting a week’s salary and issuing a final warning. The principal, Mr Makundu, reportedly attempted to calm the situation by apologising to the parents for over 30 minutes, but the confrontation escalated, with the teacher being physically attacked.
In response, the school expelled the student and permanently banned the parents from the premises to safeguard members of staff and maintain order.
The parents, through their lawyers, pushed back, arguing that the viral video omits critical context. They claim that the child had been subjected to sustained bullying and physical assault by the teacher over several months, leading to recurring headaches and blurred vision.
‘Prior to the recording of that video, our client’s child had for months been subjected to sustained bullying and physical assault by the teacher. This has led to consistent complaint of headache and blurred vision by the child to our client,’ the lawyers said.
The parents said the teacher struck their child three times during the incident in the administrative office.
‘The teacher struck the child across the face; when the terrified child tried instinctively to pull away, the teacher seized the child and administered two further deliberate slaps. This was not the first assault inflicted by this teacher,’ they said.
The recent spate of incidents in which parents physically assault teachers has drawn widespread commentary from social commentators, educators and parents, all weighing in on the responsibilities of teachers, students and parents in maintaining order and safety in schools.
Speaking with the director of Junior Secondary Schools at the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (FCTUBEB), Hajiya Rahmatu Nusa urged parents to understand that teachers act as second parents and should be allowed to correct students appropriately.
‘We don’t encourage it because in the past teachers are seen as second parents. There are parents that when the student does something, they even come and report to the teacher. School system is where the child stays for like 6 to 8 hours and they mix with children. We expect they should allow the child to learn in the school system. Every human being is bound to make mistakes. Just as they correct their children at home, they should give teachers the opportunity to correct them as they are like second parents,’ she said.
The principal of Junior Secondary School, Lokogoma, Abuja, Dr Salihu Arabi Mahmud, echoed concerns about the wider impact of parental assaults on teacher authority. He said, ‘The problem is the society, which has changed. You are aware that this didn’t happen in the past. Now, teachers are no longer permitted to beat students; one can’t even shout on the students as it is not allowed. We only give light punishment like sweeping the compound. Recently, I saw a video that was trending, where a parent beat up a teacher. How will the students even respect the teachers afterwards? There are lots of challenges.’
A social commentator, Chuka Charles Chima, said all the parties involved had some responsibility in such conflicts. ‘You don’t slap a student that assaults you; and don’t come back to do the same thing; that’s self help. They are both wrong. Their son that pushed a teacher was also wrong. But I blame the teacher; he should have knelt the boy down and flogged him with a cane. A slap can course brain damage,’ he said.
Echoing concerns about parents’ behaviours, a businesswoman and parent, Emeka Iwu Eucharia, condemned assaults by parents on teachers.
‘That is unprofessional and unacceptable. Even if the teacher is at fault, you can’t fight a teacher in the presence of other children because you are in a learning environment. Report any unhealthy attitude of a teacher to the school management. They are the one to caution the teacher,’ she said, highlighting the importance of using formal channels to address concerns.
Similarly, a social commentator, Lateef Salaudeen, stressed that parents had no right to publicly humiliate teachers.
‘It is not right for the parent to come to school to slap the teacher. It is totally wrong and unacceptable, whatsoever happened between the student and the teacher. As a responsible parent, he is supposed to go to the principal’s office to ask him what transpired between the teacher and the student because it is the principal that would take a necessary action against the offender.
‘It is so bad that the parent had an audacity to embarrass the teacher anyhow,’ he said.
An educator and event host, Emmanuel Nwojiji, called for policies to prevent all forms of bullying, noting that parents sometimes target teachers unfairly.
‘Schools should create policies to avoid bullying of any kind. The commonest has been parents bullying teachers for one reason or another. Say no to bullying,’ he said.
Reflecting a personal perspective, a school teacher, Rasak Tosin, recounted his experience as a victim of parental assault. He said, ‘I was once a victim, but l reported the case to God, who took control as the man died of kidney problem,’ illustrating the long-lasting impact such incidents can have on educators.
In Nigeria, teachers have the right to maintain classroom order using reasonable discipline while being protected from violence. Corporal punishment remains controversial, often causing trauma. The Child Rights Act (2005) and other laws prohibit excessive or abusive physical punishment, allowing only moderate measures like detention or suspension to enforce school rules.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
