Student dies after allegedly receiving 130 strokes of cain from School Principal

A 16-year-old child was allegedly brutalized to death by the school’s principal, Mohammed Ibrahim, vice principal, Nura Alfatiqa, and another staff member who went by Musa.

The boy’s death was purportedly caused by his absence from school. Marwanu Nuhu Sambo, a pupil at Zaria, Kaduna state’s Al-Azhar Academy, passed away after receiving 130 caning strikes from the school administration.

The 16-year-old child was allegedly brutalized to death by the school’s principal, Mohammed Ibrahim, vice principal, Nura Alfatiqa, and another staff member who went by Musa.

The boy’s death was purportedly caused by his absence from school. Eyewitnesses state that the incident took place on the school’s grounds on October 20, 2023. The school is situated in the state’s Zaria Local Government Area in Kofar Gayan.

“He was brought to the assembly ground and flogged over 130 times by the vice principal. Then he was dragged to the principal’s office and flogged some more by the principal, vice principal and Musa,” a female student said.

“They pounced on him such that you’ll think he was a thief or some kind of a criminal. In fact, Alfatiqa (Vice Principal) hit him repeatedly on his head,” another male student said. The Director-General of Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority (KSSQAA), Dr. Usman Abubakar Zaria, has confirmed the incident and ordered the closure of the school.

“Attention of the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority (KSSQAA) was drawn to the unfortunate incident that occurred at Al-Azhar Academy, Kofar Gayan, Tirunku Road, Zaria, Kaduna State.

According to the school, the sad incident involved punishment action for absenteeism meted out to a JSS III (Basic 9) student, named Marwanu Nuhu Sambo, which led to the death of the student on Friday, 20th October 2023.

“The KSSQAA, Ministry of Education, representing the Kaduna State Government, was earlier today on a fact-finding visit, seeking to piece together the sequence of events that transpired: from the Al-Azhar Academy, the school where the incident happened, to engage with bereaved family as well as some school mates of the victim. The KSSQAA team then visited the Divisional Police Headquarters, Zaria City, where the principal and the vice principal were being detained.

“The fact-finding team then moved to Hajiya Gambo Sawaba General Hospital, Zaria, where the victim was formally confirmed dead. “In the interim, guided by the provisions of its establishment Act (amended 2015), the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority has closed down the Al-Azhar Academy, Zaria, and the school premise remains sealed, pending the outcome of the investigation,” KSSQAA stated. However, members of the family of the deceased student are demanding justice for their loved one. When contacted, the spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Mansur Hassan said the matter was being investigated.