The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Ibrahim Bakori, has set up a special investigation panel to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of a JSS 2 boarding student of St. Louis Secondary School, Kano.

The panel was constituted following the receipt of a formal petition from Nakudu Law Partners, solicitors to the mother of the late student, Mrs Nusaiba Rabi’u Dan Sheriff, regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of her daughter, Maimuna Sani Salisu.

This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Police Command, CSP Abdullahi Haruna.

“The Kano State Police Command wishes to inform the public that it has received a formal petition dated June 17, 2026, from Nakudu Law Partners, solicitors to Mrs Nusaiba Rabi’u Dan Sheriff, regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of her daughter, late Maimuna Sani Salisu, a JSS 2 boarding student of St. Louis Secondary School, Kano,” the statement partly read.

It added that upon receipt of the petition on the death of the 13-year-old student, the Commissioner of Police directed that the matter be treated with utmost diligence, transparency and strict compliance with the rule of law, in line with the Inspector-General of Police’s pillars of intelligence-led policing, strict accountability and human rights compliance.

“Consequently, a Special Investigation Panel has been constituted and is being led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, DCP Shehu Idris.

“In the interest of transparency and inter-agency collaboration, officials from the Kano State Ministry of Justice have been included as members of the panel to provide legal guidance and oversight throughout the process,” the statement continued.

According to the statement, the petitioners alleged conflicting accounts regarding the cause of death, noting that while the school initially stated that the deceased died of an asthma attack after being late to the mosque, other testimonies received by the family suggested that she was punished by senior students through flogging and prolonged kneeling for refusing to sweep, which allegedly worsened her condition.

“The family expressed concern over the conflicting narratives and requested a thorough police investigation to establish the true cause of death and ensure accountability”, the statement added.

The command, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, assured the family of the deceased, the school community and the general public that the investigation would be thorough, impartial and transparent.

The command appealed to members of the public, especially the school community, to volunteer credible information that could assist the investigation, assuring that all information provided would be treated with strict confidentiality. (The PUNCH)