Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has named 10 prominent Muslim scholars, community leaders and government officials to probe alleged inhumane treatment of students in an Arabic school in Ganmo area of the state.
A viral video showing some students of the Madrasah brutally flogged by their instructors had elicited nationwide outrage last weekend with many Nigerians condemning the action while calling on the Kwara State Government to investigate it.
The head of the school has already been suspended.
A statement on Tuesday by the governor’s chief press secretary Rafiu Ajakaye said the committee is to be chaired by Justice Idris Haroon (rtd).
Other members are commissioner for education and human capital development, Sa’adatu Kawu; special assistant to the governor on religion (Islam) Ibrahim Maigoro; Prof. Hamzat Abdulraheem; Prof Badmus Yusuf; Prof. Abubakar Imam-Aliagan; Mohammed Alaya; Saudat AbdulBaqi; Balikis Oladimeji of the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN); Lawal Olohungbebe; and AbdulHameed Sanni (secretary).
“The terms of reference of the committee include to meet with the affected students, their parents, and the school authorities on the circumstances around the corporal punishments meted to them following the students’ organisation and participation in a birthday party, alleged consumption of liquor and publication of the video footage of same on the social media; review the reward and disciplinary methods in such schools; and make recommendations to the government on how to prevent a recurrence of such in the state,” the statement read.
The committee, Mr Ajakaye further said, has one week to submit its report, beginning from its first sitting.
