The Kaduna Police Command has announced the apprehension of the Principal and Vice Principal of Al-Azhar School in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Their arrest is in connection with the tragic incident in which Marwanu Nuhu Sambo, a JSS3 Student at the School, lost his life due to alleged corporal punishment on Friday.
Sambo was purportedly subjected to severe physical punishment by not only the Principal and Vice Principal but also by the school prefects at Al-Azhar Academy, all stemming from his absence from school.
When contacted to confirm the statement by the school’s management that those involved in the ugly incident have been arrested, the Police Command’s PPRO ASP Mansir Hassan said: “Police is fully aware of the incident and we are in control of the situation.”
According to the PPRO: “Two suspects have been arrested in connection to the development. The CP has directed a full scale investigation on the matter and we will get to ita root cause.”
It was gat.d that Sambo was paraded at the Assembly for missing classes. He was subjected to merciless punishments including over a hundred strokes of the cane.
“At the assembly, the Principal ordered that Marwanu should be given 105 strokes of cane. T.after, 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 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 the closing time.
“Cries from other students in the school who watched in trepidation reportedly attracted other teachers who rushed to the scene w. they found out that the boy has given up the ghost,” a . said
Another . said the student was rushed to a private hospital in Zaria w. he was confirmed dead.
But the school management, in a statement explained the punishment carried out was not part of its policy while the officers that imposed “the irresponsible punishment did it without consultation.”
The school said:-
“It is deeply saddened by the incident that lead to the death of its 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 lost.
“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.”
