John Olubobokun, a former director of a private Christian school in Canada, has been found guilty of nine counts of assault with a weapon after a court confirmed he used a wooden paddle to discipline students under his care.
Olubobokun, a Nigerian-born educator, served at Christian Centre Academy—now renamed Legacy Christian Academy—in Saskatoon between 2003 and 2007. While corporal punishment using paddles is still practiced in some parts of Nigeria, such disciplinary methods are prohibited under Canadian law.
During the trial, nine former students gave harrowing testimonies describing how they were forced to bend over desks and endure repeated strikes with the paddle. The accounts included descriptions of bruises, physical pain, and emotional trauma. One victim recalled how the wooden paddle broke during one particularly harsh punishment session.
The courtroom was filled with emotion as the guilty verdict was announced. Survivors of the abuse, many of whom had waited nearly two decades for justice, were seen crying and embracing. “It’s healing and validating,” one survivor said.
Crown prosecutors emphasized that the use of a wooden paddle went far beyond what is allowed under Section 43 of the Canadian Criminal Code, which permits only reasonable and non-harmful correction by teachers or parents.
Olubobokun, now convicted, is awaiting sentencing. Many former students have welcomed the ruling as a long-overdue step toward accountability and healing.
Source: Guardian
