Police Constitute Special Panel to Probe Death of Kano Secondary School Student

The Kano State Police Command has constituted a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a 13-year-old student of St. Louis Secondary School, Kano, Late Maimuna Sani Salisu.

The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement issued in Kano. He said the action followed a petition submitted by Nakudu Law Partners on behalf of the deceased’s mother, Mrs Nusaiba Rabiu Dan Sheriff, seeking a thorough investigation into the incident.

According to the statement, the petition alleged conflicting accounts regarding the cause of the student’s death. While the school authorities reportedly informed the family that the deceased suffered an asthma attack after arriving late to the mosque, other testimonies available to the family alleged that she was subjected to punishment by senior students, including flogging and prolonged kneeling, which may have worsened her condition.

Kiyawa said the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, had directed that the matter be investigated with diligence, transparency and strict adherence to the rule of law. Consequently, a Special Investigation Panel headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, DCP Shehu Idris, was inaugurated, with officials of the Kano State Ministry of Justice included to provide legal guidance and oversight.

He said the panel had commenced investigations and had already invited three teachers, three senior students and two witnesses for questioning. According to him, statements have been obtained while medical, forensic and other evidentiary procedures are ongoing to determine the exact cause of death and the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The command assured the family of the deceased and the public that the investigation would be impartial and comprehensive, adding that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law, while those found innocent would be exonerated.

It also appealed to members of the public to provide credible information that could assist the investigation, assuring that all information received would be treated confidentially