Police hunt parent, 2 women after death of Kogi teacher assaulted for disciplining pupil
The Kogi State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a parent identified as Abdullahi Ishaka and two female accomplices following the tragic death of a 30-year-old primary school teacher, Maryam Usman, who was brutally assaulted for disciplining a pupil.
The severe assault, which occurred in the Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, has sparked widespread outrage across the state’s academic and civil space, placing a fresh spotlight on the growing vulnerability of educators handling disciplinary matters in Nigerian schools.
The disciplinary incident that sparked retaliation
The nightmare began on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at the Brains Minds Nursery and Primary School located in the Ugbamaka community.
According to community sources, the late Maryam Usman had administered routine discipline to a pupil under her care.
During the corrective measure, the pupil reportedly tripped, fell, and sustained a minor arm injury.
Rather than lodging a formal complaint with the school administration or Ministry of Education authorities, the pupil’s father, Abdullahi Ishaka, allegedly resorted to self-help.
Flanked by two unidentified women, Ishaka stormed the school premises and violently assaulted the female teacher.
Compounding the cruelty, local witnesses revealed that a secondary group of assailants ambushed the heavily bruised teacher later that same day while she was walking to a local mosque for prayers, inflicting further internal injuries.
A week-long battle for life ends in tragedy
Confirming the development in an official security brief released on Sunday, June 28, 2026, the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Oyiza Salisu Afusat, stated that the case has formally been registered as culpable homicide.
“The victim sustained catastrophic injuries from the dual assaults,” SP Afusat stated. “She was initially rushed to a community hospital in Ugbamaka before her rapidly deteriorating condition forced a critical referral to the Iko-Ojo Hospital in Okpo for intensive medical attention. Sadly, she succumbed to her internal injuries and passed away on Thursday, June 25, 2026.”
Following the victim’s demise, divisional operatives visited both the crime scene and the deceased’s family residence to secure vital forensic evidence and statements.
The PPRO added that official arrangements are currently underway to transfer Maryam’s remains to the General Hospital in Ankpa for a comprehensive medical examination and autopsy to legally establish the exact cause of death.
Suspects on the run as outrage mounts
The police confirmed that Abdullahi Ishaka and his co-assailants fled the Ugbamaka community immediately after learning of the teacher’s death. State tactical teams are currently combing neighbouring border communities to track down the fugitives.
“The suspects cannot hide forever,” the PPRO warned, assuring the public that the moment the fugitives are apprehended, the case files will be immediately transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Lokoja for discreet prosecution under the state’s homicide laws.
Meanwhile, branches of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and teacher unions in Kogi State have condemned the killing, calling for stiffer legislation to protect academic workers from aggressive parents and guardian-led jungle justice.
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