Kano – The Kano State Police Command has set up a Special Investigation Panel to probe the death of 13-year-old Maimuna Sani Salisu, a student of St. Louis Secondary School, Kano.
Police Public Relations Officer CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said the panel was formed after a petition from Nakudu Law Partners on behalf of the deceased’s mother, Nusaiba Rabiu Dan Sheriff, seeking a thorough investigation.
The petition alleged conflicting accounts of the student’s death. School authorities told the family she suffered an asthma attack after arriving late to the mosque. Other testimonies claimed she was punished by senior students through flogging and prolonged kneeling, which may have worsened her condition.
Kiyawa said the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, directed that the matter be investigated with diligence, transparency and adherence to the rule of law. The panel is headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, DCP Shehu Idris, with officials from the Kano State Ministry of Justice providing legal guidance.
He said the panel had begun investigations and invited three teachers, three senior students and two witnesses for questioning. Statements have been obtained, while medical, forensic and other evidence are being examined to determine the cause of death and circumstances surrounding the incident.
The command assured the family and the public that the investigation would be impartial and comprehensive. It said anyone found culpable would be prosecuted, while those found innocent would be exonerated.
The police also appealed for credible information from the public, assuring that all information would be treated confidentially.
