Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has constituted an administrative investigation committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the death of a student at St. Louis College, Kano, as authorities intensified efforts to uncover the facts behind the incident.
The move comes days after the Commissioner of Police in Kano State, CP Ibrahim Bakori, established a special investigation panel to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of the student, identified as Maimuna Sani Salisu, a JSS 2 boarding student of St. Louis Secondary School, Kano.
A statement issued on Thursday by the governor’s spokesman, Sunusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, said the state government’s committee would conduct a “thorough and independent investigation” into the incident.
According to the statement, the committee will be chaired by the Commissioner for Education, Gwani Alhaji Ali Haruna Makoda.
Other members of the panel include the Special Adviser on Justice and Constitutional Matters, Barr. Aminu Hussain; Barr. Hamza Dantani; Executive Secretary of the Private and Voluntary Institutions Management Board, Baba Abubakar Umar; Director General, Media and Publicity, Sunusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa; Proprietor of Private Schools, Imam Ahmed Zubairu; the PTA Chairman of St. Louis College Kano; and Senior Special Assistant on Girl Child Education, Hafsat Aminu Adhama, who will serve as secretary. Binta Abdullahi Mukhtar, Under Secretary/REPA, will serve as assistant secretary.
The committee has been mandated to establish “a clear timeline of events and identify any lapses in supervision, welfare management or institutional procedures” that may have contributed to the student’s death.
Its terms of reference include examining the events leading to the incident, reviewing medical records and reports, investigating the social environment within the school, and assessing allegations of bullying, coercion or unauthorised disciplinary practices among students.
The panel is also expected to evaluate existing complaint and reporting mechanisms, review staff compliance with student supervision guidelines, and recommend reforms to disciplinary and boarding school management systems.
In addition, members will propose measures to strengthen emergency medical response procedures and improve student safety standards across schools in the state.
Governor Yusuf, according to the statement, reiterated “his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the truth surrounding the incident is established and that appropriate measures are taken to prevent a recurrence.”
He also directed members of the committee to carry out their assignment “with fairness, diligence and utmost professionalism in the interest of justice and the safety of all students.”
The committee is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the state government within the stipulated timeframe, while the police investigation was also ongoing.
