The family of a 14-year-old student of St. Louis Secondary School, Kano, has demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death, following conflicting accounts of what led to the tragedy.
The deceased, Maimuna Sani, popularly known as Nihal, was a Junior Secondary School 2 student at the boarding school.
Her death, which occurred on Saturday, has drawn public attention after family members questioned the school's explanation that she suffered an asthma-related emergency.
Relatives alleged that the teenager may have been subjected to punishment before she collapsed, a claim that has prompted the Kano State Police Command to launch a formal investigation.
Speaking on the incident, Nihal’s mother, Nusaiba, said she received a telephone call from the school informing her that her daughter had fallen ill and was receiving treatment at a hospital.
According to her, she was unable to go immediately because she was also hospitalised and therefore asked her sister to represent her.
She said her sister later contacted her from the hospital to inquire whether the teenager had a history of asthma.
"I told her my daughter was not asthmatic," she said.
The grieving mother alleged that hospital officials informed the family that the student had been punished after arriving late for prayers before she later collapsed.
She further claimed that when family members got to the hospital, they were informed that the teenager had already died before arriving at the facility.
Nusaiba said she became more suspicious after hearing different versions of the incident and insisted that the true cause of her daughter's death must be established.
According to her, several messages and reports from individuals familiar with the incident raised additional questions that require clarification.
The deceased's grandmother, Safiya Sani Yola, also expressed concern over repeated inquiries by hospital personnel about whether the girl suffered from asthma, saying it heightened the family's suspicion.
The family has consequently appealed to the government and relevant authorities to ensure a transparent investigation and justice if any wrongdoing is established.
When contacted, the school's principal, Reverend Sister Christiana Diyab, declined to comment extensively on the matter, citing the ongoing police investigation.
She said the school would not make statements capable of influencing the outcome of the probe.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Police Command confirmed that it had constituted a special investigation panel following a petition submitted by the deceased's family.
The command's spokesman, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the petition was filed on June 17 through legal representatives acting on behalf of the student's mother.
He noted that investigators were examining claims that differed from the school's account of an asthma attack.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, directed that the investigation be conducted professionally and transparently.
Kiyawa disclosed that the panel, headed by a senior officer from the Criminal Investigation Department, had already obtained statements from teachers, students and other witnesses connected to the case.
He added that medical and forensic examinations were ongoing to determine the exact cause of death.
"The investigation will be comprehensive and impartial, and anyone found culpable will face the law," he said.
Also reacting, the Kano State Government said it would await the outcome of the police investigation before taking further action.
The Executive Secretary of the state's Private and Voluntary Institutions Board, Baba Abubakar Umar, said the government was monitoring developments closely and would ensure justice prevailed.
He stressed that corporal punishment remains prohibited in schools across the state and warned school authorities against acts capable of endangering students.
The incident has renewed concerns among child rights advocates, who say cases of abuse, negligence and unsafe practices in schools continue to threaten the welfare of children.
Stakeholders have urged authorities to ensure that witnesses are protected and that the outcome of the investigation is made public.
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