TENSION in Kano’s historic St. Louis Secondary School as mystery surrounds the death of a 14-year-old female student has sparked outrage and calls for justice, with her family alleging suspicious circumstances and conflicting accounts from the school.
NEWS POINT NIGERIA reports that the family of Maimuna Sani (Nihal), a 14-year-old Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS2) student at St. Louis Secondary School Kano, is demanding justice following her controversial death, which they allege may have resulted from punishment in the boarding school.
The school, established on January 18, 1951, and now 75 years old, has come under intense scrutiny as police launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death, which occurred on Saturday within the school premises.
The incident, which occurred at the Catholic girls’ boarding school in Kano, has triggered a formal police investigation after the family raised concerns over conflicting explanations surrounding the cause of death.
While the school maintained that Maimuna suffered an asthma attack, other accounts suggested she was flogged by senior students and made to kneel for a prolonged period as punishment.
She reportedly slumped on Saturday after allegedly being punished for failing to go to the mosque on time and was rushed to a hospital where she was confirmed dead.
Police authorities in Kano State have since taken over the case as stakeholders continue to demand a thorough probe into the incident.
The mother of the deceased, Mrs. Nusaiba, insisted that the death of her only daughter must be fully investigated to ensure justice is served.
She said she received a call from the school on Saturday evening informing her that Nihal was sick and had been taken to the hospital.
“I was also sick and hospitalised, so I couldn’t go. I told them I would send my sister to get her,” she said.
According to her, her sister arrived at the school around 7:30pm and later called to ask whether Nihal had asthma.
“I told her no. At the hospital, they said she was late for prayer and had been punished, and that was how she died,” she said.
She further recounted that hospital staff referred to the deceased as “the patient we lost” when her sister arrived.
“She screamed and tried to enter the room where Nihal was, but was stopped and directed to the doctor’s office. The doctor told my sister that Nihal was already dead when they brought her, but they claimed she was asthmatic,” she added.
The grieving mother also said she noticed that her daughter’s mouth appeared black when she saw the body.
“I asked what they gave her that made her mouth appear like that and they said that’s how dead bodies look. I did not agree. I had so many questions, but due to the grief, I couldn’t ask,” she said.
She added that she initially considered accepting the situation on religious grounds after advice from her father, but continued to pray for the truth to emerge.
Nusaiba alleged that the school Vice Principal, Hadiza Babayaro, advised her to remain calm and ignore circulating information about the incident.
“I asked her if there was anything she hadn’t told me, but she said no. That made me more curious, thinking they were hiding something. This is no longer about school reputation; it is about life,” she said.
She insisted that the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death were suspicious, adding that screenshots and messages she later received deepened her concerns.
Her maternal grandmother, Safiya Sani Yola, also confirmed that the family was questioned at the hospital about whether Nihal had asthma, which she said raised suspicions.
The family has since called for a comprehensive investigation, insisting that the truth must be uncovered and justice served.
When contacted, the school principal, Reverend Sister Christiana Diyab, declined to comment on the matter, saying it was already under police investigation.
“For now, I don’t want to say anything to preempt investigation or pass a verdict on an ongoing issue,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Police Command has constituted a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to probe the case following a formal petition by the family.
According to Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the petition was filed on June 17, 2026, through Nakudu Law Partners on behalf of the deceased’s mother, Mrs. Nusaiba Rabiu Dan Sheriff.
He said the petition alleged conflicting accounts: the school claimed asthma-related death after lateness to mosque, while other accounts suggested punishment by senior students involving flogging and prolonged kneeling.
Kiyawa said the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, ordered that the matter be treated with urgency, diligence and transparency.
He explained that a Special Investigation Panel led by DCP Shehu Idris of the Criminal Investigation Department has been constituted, with officials from the Kano State Ministry of Justice also included for legal oversight.
According to him, three teachers, three senior female students and two witnesses have already been invited and have given statements, while medical and forensic examinations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of death.
The police assured that the investigation would be thorough, impartial and transparent, adding that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted.
The command also urged members of the public and the school community to provide credible information to aid the investigation.
The Kano State Government said it will take appropriate action based on the outcome of the police investigation.
Executive Secretary of the State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board, Baba Abubakar Umar, said the government is closely monitoring the case and urged the public to remain calm.
He said the board would ensure a proper investigation is carried out, adding that findings from the police would guide government action.
According to him, the cause of death could be natural or otherwise, stressing that only a full investigation can establish the truth.
He also reaffirmed that corporal punishment has been banned in schools in the state.
The death has revived broader concerns about safety in schools across Kano State, following past cases that sparked national outrage.
In December 2021, five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar was abducted and murdered by her school proprietor in a case that shocked the country and led to a death sentence in 2022.
More recently, in May 2026, a teacher in a private school was accused of sexually abusing underage students, leading to the school’s closure and prosecution of the suspect.