The Kaduna State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of the Principal and Vice Principal of Al-Azhar School in Zaria, Kaduna State for their alleged involvement in corporal punishment, which resulted in the death of a student of the school.
Marwanu Nuhu Sambo, a JSS 3 pupil, was allegedly brutally beaten by the Principal, the Vice Principal and some prefects of Al-Azhar Academy for absenting himself from school.
Contacted yesterday to confirm the statement issued by the school’s management that those involved in the ugly Friday incident had been arrested, the Public Relations Officer for the command, Mansir Hassan, said “The police is fully aware of the incident and we are in control of the situation.”
“Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the development. The CP has directed a full-scale investigation on the matter and we will get to its root,” Hassan said.
It was gathered that Sambo was paraded in front of the school’s assembly for missing classes. He was also said to have been subjected to merciless punishments including more than 100 strokes of the cane.
Hassan added: “At the assembly, the principal ordered that Marwanu should be given 105 strokes of the cane. Thereafter, they took him to the office, removed his clothes and trousers and continued beating him with sticks on the head and back and his body.
“The Principal later handed him over to the school prefects who continued beating him with sticks until one of his teeth fell off. It was at that point that the deceased went into a coma.
“But instead of rushing him to the hospital, the prefects brought him out and dumped his body in the school premises near the male toilets until closing time.
“Cries from other students in the school who watched in trepidation reportedly attracted other teachers who rushed to the scene where they found that the boy had given up the ghost.”
Another source said the student was rushed to a private hospital in Zaria but was confirmed dead by the hospital.
In a statement it issued on the sad incident, the school’s management said the punishment meted out to the deceased pupil was not part of the school’s policy, adding that the officers who imposed “the irresponsible punishment did it without consultation.”
The school’s management also said it was “deeply saddened by the incident that led to the death of the student and prays almighty Allah to forgive the shortcoming of the deceased, grant him Jannat elfirdous as his final abode and give his family the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.
“Furthermore, the officers that committed this act were suspended from the school forthwith and handed over to the Nigerian Police Force for investigation and further action.
“Finally the School is closed for Academic activities till further notice.”
