In 2015, a Nigerian physics teacher, Dr Vincent Uzomah, was stabbed in the stomach by his 14-year-old student and five years after the incident he says he is still afraid to teach in a secondary school

According to Skynews, Uzomah revealed his fear in the light of recent reports that more children are taking weapons to school.

“I was teaching in the classroom and he just pulled out a knife and stabbed me in the stomach. It was such a horrible experience. No-one should have to go through the same thing,” said Uzomah.

The incident happened in June 2015 and Dr Uzomah now teaches at a university in Greater Manchester.

As of the time of the attack, Dr Uzomah was a part-time teacher at a secondary school, the Dixon Kings Academy, a mixed-sex free school in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

“The attack made me not go back to secondary schools anymore,” Dr Uzomah says.

“But the impact continues even here. Sometimes when I’m clustered by students I start feeling very uncomfortable. So it’s an ongoing thing.”

As he was under-18, Dr Uzomah’s attacker has never been named publicly.

But during his trial, the court heard he’d brought the weapon to school in his rucksack. It was a six-inch kitchen knife.

He received an 11-year custodial sentence.

“As a Christian I have forgiven this boy who has inflicted this trauma and pain on me and my family. Our prayer for him is that he will make use of the opportunities and support that will be provided to him to become a changed person who will make a positive contribution to the society.”

According to reports, prosecutors said the teenager was “disruptive and a bully” who at 14 was already using cannabis. The boy, of Pakistani origin, resented being told off by the Nigerian-born teacher, he added.

“He did not show any especial hostility to other teachers. Mr Uzomah, however, is black.

“The defendant disliked him, claiming he couldn’t teach, and freely referred to him by the epithet beginning with the letter ‘n’, including saying it in anger just before he attacked him.

“The Crown’s case, in consequence, is that the attack was, at least in part, racially motivated,” he added.