By Ado Oyeyemi
The family of a 14-year-old student of St. Louis Secondary School, Kano, Maimuna Sani, has called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death, amid allegations that she was subjected to punishment before she collapsed at the school.
As reported by Daily Trust, Maimuna, a Junior Secondary School II student, reportedly died on Saturday after she was rushed to a hospital from the boarding school.
While school authorities reportedly attributed her death to an asthma-related complication, family members and other sources have raised concerns over conflicting accounts, alleging that the teenager may have been punished before the incident.
The development has prompted the Kano State Police Command to launch an investigation into the case.
Speaking on the incident, the deceased’s mother, Nusaiba, said she received a telephone call from the school informing her that her daughter was ill and had been taken to hospital.
According to her, she was unable to visit immediately because she was also receiving medical treatment and subsequently asked her sister to check on the student.
She said her sister later contacted her to inquire whether Maimuna had a history of asthma, a claim she insisted was false.
Nusaiba alleged that hospital officials informed her relatives that the student had been punished for allegedly arriving late for prayers before she collapsed.
She further claimed that when family members arrived at the hospital, they were informed that the teenager had already died before being brought to the facility.
The grieving mother said she became more suspicious after hearing different versions of events surrounding her daughter’s death.
According to her, some school officials urged her to remain calm and disregard rumours circulating about the incident, a development she said deepened her concerns.
She insisted that the matter should not be swept aside and called on relevant authorities to uncover the truth behind her daughter’s death.
Also speaking, the deceased’s grandmother, Safiya Sani Yola, said family members became concerned after repeated questions were raised about whether the student suffered from asthma.
The family has consequently demanded a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the case.
When contacted, the school’s principal, Reverend Sister Christiana Diyab, declined to comment extensively, noting that the matter was already under police investigation.
She said it would be inappropriate to make statements that could influence the outcome of the ongoing probe.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Police Command confirmed that it had constituted a special investigation panel to determine the cause of the student’s death.
The command’s spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the panel was set up following a petition submitted by the family through their legal representatives.
According to him, the petition highlighted conflicting accounts of the incident, with one version indicating that the student suffered an asthma attack, while another alleged that she was punished by senior students through flogging and prolonged kneeling.
Kiyawa disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, directed that the investigation be conducted thoroughly and transparently.
He added that the special panel, headed by a senior officer from the Criminal Investigation Department and supported by officials from the Ministry of Justice, had already commenced work.
The police spokesman said teachers, students and other witnesses had been invited and had provided statements, while medical and forensic examinations were ongoing to establish the exact cause of death.
He assured the family and members of the public that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Also reacting, the Kano State Government said it would act based on the outcome of the police investigation.
The Executive Secretary of the state’s Private and Voluntary Institutions Board, Baba Abubakar Umar, said the government was closely monitoring the matter and would ensure justice was served.
He stressed that the state had prohibited corporal punishment in schools and warned school proprietors against allowing bullying or any form of abuse within their institutions.
Umar urged schools across the state to strengthen child protection measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
Child rights advocates have also expressed concern over growing reports of abuse and neglect in schools, warning that such cases could further erode public confidence in the education system.
They called for stricter enforcement of child protection laws and safeguards for students, particularly in boarding schools.
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