Sophia Michaels
Kaduna Police Command has revealed that it has arrested the Principal and Vice Principal of Al-Azhar School in Zaria, Kaduna State.
They were arrested for their alleged involvement in corporal punishment that led the death of Marwanu Nuhu Sambo, a JSS3 student of the school on Friday.
Sambo was allegedly brutally beaten by the Principal, Vice Principal and prefects of Al-Azhar Academy for absenteeism in 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 gathered 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. 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 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 where they found out that the boy has given up the ghost,” a source said
Another source said the student was rushed to a private hospital in Zaria where 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.”
