A heart-breaking incident has claimed the lives of two school pupils of an Arabic school, Almajiri school, after they were said to have ingested a toxic substance believed to be poisonous milk.
After pronouncing the two pupils dead, medical experts were reported to be battling to save four of their colleagues who also consumed the poisonous substances inside their school.
The deaths of the two pupils identified as 12-year-old Abdullahi and 14-year-old Aminu were confirmed by their teacher, Nafiu, who spoke with gloomy eyes after watching the former students become lifeless.
As gathered, the two deceased pupils were recently brought to Kano State by their parents to complete their Qur’anic education.
The teacher narrated, “It was a substance commonly used in tea. Someone, still unidentified, threw it over the fence. Mistaking it for milk, they mixed and drank it on Wednesday. Soon after, they fell critically ill. Four of them are now recovering, but sadly, two of the boys died.”
While the specific cause of death is still unverified, the teacher noted that foam was seen around the mouths of the deceased, raising suspicions that they may have ingested a poisonous chemical resembling milk.
Police officers have visited the location and initiated an investigation and as part of their inquiry, they have asked to speak with the four surviving children to gather more details.
However, parents of the victims have been notified and are reportedly en route from Dandume in Katsina State to Kano to collect the body of the children.
Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Kano State Police Command for official comments have been unsuccessful, as the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna, did not respond to calls.
In an attempt to get further information by the incident, a local resident, Tahir Majid, expressed the community’s grief and shock over the sudden loss.
“We have never seen anything like this in our neighborhood. These boys were determined and doing their best to survive. The whole area is in mourning.
“We pray the government will launch a full investigation to reveal what really caused their deaths,” he stated.
As of the time this report was filed, the bodies of the two children remained at their teacher’s home, awaiting burial after initial investigative procedures are concluded.
