Tension as Kaduna Air Force school students punish junior to death

A tragedy occurred at the Airforce Comprehensive School in Kaduna as two senior pupils are said to have murdered 15-year-old Blaise Felix Aliyu in the dormitory of the school, which is located within the Airforce Base in Mando, Kaduna.

Felix, an orphan who lost his parents in 2013, is survived by his twin brother, who is also a student at the same military boarding school.

A report by Leadership said his body has been deposited in the mortuary as investigations into the cause of his death continue.

The Nigerian Airforce, which owns the school, has yet to disclose the victim’s identity or the precise cause of death but confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, spokesperson for the Nigerian Airforce (NAF), expressed the institution’s sorrow.

“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, and indeed the entire NAF family are saddened by the painful and unfortunate incident of the untimely death of one of our students at Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna, on June 19, 2024,” Gabkwet said.

“To avoid all sorts of speculations, a thorough investigation is currently ongoing to unravel how, why, and what actually led to the death of the victim. Rest assured that this matter is receiving the utmost urgency it deserves, and we won’t rest until it is unraveled.”

A source within the Airforce Base, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the incident occurred on June 19.

According to the source, two Senior Secondary (SS3) students, who had just completed their WAEC exams and were awaiting their NECO exams, summoned Felix to their room under the pretext of punishing him but ended up killing him.

“What I gathered was that two SS3 students who just finished their WAEC and were waiting for NECO examination invited Felix Aliyu, who is an Assistant Headboy, to one of their rooms to punish him,” the source stated. “According to findings, these two students tortured him with an electric iron until he died. Initially, we heard that the victim was ironing clothes and got electrocuted, but later it was confirmed to be a case of murder. The two SS3 students suspected of being behind the act have been arrested.”

A relative of the victim, who wished to remain unnamed, confirmed the incident but declined to speak further to the press.

The chairman of the school’s Parents Teachers Association (PTA) shared on the PTA WhatsApp platform that Felix died as a result of being punished by an SS3 student.

The PTA Chairman indicated that the senior student had made an illegal electrical connection in the room, leading to Felix being electrocuted when he came into contact with the iron bed during the punishment.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

This shocking incident has sent waves of grief and outrage through the school community and beyond, with many calling for a swift and thorough investigation to ensure justice for Blaise Felix Aliyu.

(LEADERSHIP)