At last, Deeper Life High School, Uyo and parents of the former junior student, Don Davis Archibong allegedly abused by fellow students and assaulted by teachers have settled the messy case out of court.
Angered by alleged abuse of their son by some senior students and molestation and abuse by teachers, parents of Don-Davis dragged the school in the social media and took the matter to Akwa Ibom State High Court.
In 2021, the parents sued the school demanding payment of N100 million compensation for alleged inhuman torture of their 11-year-old son then in the school.
In a peace and reconciliation reception organized by Deeper Life High School on Friday, which is part of the terms of settlement, Deborah Archibong, mother of the alleged abused student who spoke with newsmen after the novelty match, pledged to apologise to the school management over her actions and comments.
Read also: Deeper Life School: Parents Of Abused Child Want N100m Compensation
“For the parties that were involved which I am one of them, I would say we should all be on the learning side. We should learn to approach things quick irrespective of who is involved. To be honest I am a business person and I know what it means for an organization to be dragged, especially dragged wrongly.
I will send an apology but before I do, I would like to say if they had taken it up as at when it was calm, it would not have gotten to this point,’’ Mrs Archibong said.
She recalled that her son, Don-Davis came to Deeper Life High School because of the sound moral standard and discipline the school is known for.
Mrs. Archibong appreciated the teachers, students and the principal for the cooperation, noting that she has seen Christ in all of them and expressed happiness that all the children involved in the case are alive to witness the occasion.
“I am honestly happy because all the children involved are alive and some parents watching us may be crying but I give God the glory. This is what the body of Christ is all about.
“Taking it to the public brought us to where we are today. That drag was because nobody was giving me a listening ear. Don-Davis came to Deeper Life High school for discipline and moral. He decided to come to Deeper Life High school because of those two things and even looking at the children you can see discipline in them.
“Let us forget the devil came in, everything will be fine. The good news I want to trend from social media is that I like the cooperation of teachers, principal and every other person. When I came in, I was wearing tight because I thought it would be anyhow but I see Christ in every one of them. I know that Deeper Life High School has come to stay,” Deborah Archibong said.
At the peace and reconciliation reception, the lead counsel to Deeper Life High School, Taiwo Kupolati, SAN, thanked the High Court Judge, Ntong Ntong for initiating the peace process.
Kupolati also appreciated all the parties for embracing peace and advised parents to seek and boldly enforce peace as anybody who does not have peace is not entitled to good life.
“The Honourable Judge suggested that the parties should settle the case outside court. It is to the glory of God that after two conferences, both parties and individuals concerned; the school, and the children involved, came together to reconcile.
“We got a consent judgement that we will come together to unite the students and let them know it is better to live a united life as they are the future of this generation. Today is to celebrate, and affirm the principle of peace.
“I want us to know that as parents we must seek and boldly enforce peace because he who does not have peace is not entitled to good life. I thank Deborah Archibong so much for agreeing to have this matter resolved at no financial cost because of the future of the children. I thank you for your understanding. All the bad memories and negative publicity are gone.”
The lawyer who represented the claimant, Sampson Awoji, thanked Deeper Life High School for keeping to the terms of settlement.
Earlier, the State Overseer of Deeper Life Bible Church, Akwa Ibom, Pastor Emmanuel Amaeze, represented by Pastor Timothy Adewuyi, had urged everybody to learn how to live in peace.
He noted that there is time for everything as the time of disagreement has passed and described students of Deeper Life High School as people with distinction.
The highpoint of the peace and reconciliation reception was the presentation of memorabilia to Don-Davis Archibong as a parting gift from the Deeper Life High School.
Recall that Don-Davis Archibong’s parents in a suit no: HU/197/2021 had sued two senior students of Deeper Life High School, Uyo Campus, Shalom Ibikunle and Ola Feyisetan, the Principal Mrs. Ndidi Solomon and some teachers for abuse, molestation and neglect of their son while in the hostel even though medical report indicated that Don-Davis Archibong was not abused as claimed by the parents.
But on March 23, 2022, all the parties came together to have a consent judgement with terms of settlement which includes:
“The 1st Defendant shall at a date to be agreed in future between the Parties organize a Peace and Reconciliation Reception for the Claimant at Uyo Campus of the 1st Defendant with a Memorabilia presented to the Claimant-all at the expense of the Deeper Life High School, Uyo Campus.”
“The Claimant shall not institute any further Civil or Criminal action in future on the basis of the facts in the instant Civil suit No. HU/197/2021 and the aforesaid Criminal Charge Nos. HU/164/C/2021 and HU/212/2021.”
