By Mukwuzi Joseph

Kwara State government has suspended the head of Musbaudeen Islamiy Arabic school in Ganmo, Ifelodun local government area of the state for  flogging five of the students including a female because they allegedly attended a birthday party in a club house.

The government had also set up a panel to investigate the incident while the affected students have been taken to hospital for medical attention.

The Arabic school is meant to strictly teach the students who were brought from far and near in Godly way and shun all forms of worldly affairs.

The video showing where five clerics were seen mercilessly beating the students with long canes had gone viral prompting the government to swing into action.

One of the students who was brutally flogged, Nasirudeen Muhideen, while being interviewed by an unnamed teacher before the school assembly, had said they all attended a birthday party last Sunday but only one among them drank a bottle of Trophy while the others drank Malta Guinness and energy drinks which are non-alcoholic.

The assembly had been called by the panicky school authorities over the viral video showing the students being flogged brutally.

In a statement, however, the Kwara commissioner said a government delegation visited the Arabic school and took the decision to suspend the headteacher of the Madrasa.

Kawu was joined by the Divisional Police Officer Ganmo, SP Oko Nkama; and a representative of the NSCDC DSC Parati AbdulHameed

The statement was titled, ‘Video: Kwara Govt suspends Madrasah’s head, probes development…affected students get medical treatment.’

It partly read, “The government’s team carefully listened to the authorities of the Arabic school, the father of the sole girl in the video, and four other students involved in the unsavoury development.

“Regardless of the explanations of the authorities on the development, the self-confessed consent of the parents and regret of the affected students, the government seriously frowns at the harsh beating seen in the footage.

“Consequently, the government has directed the setting up of an investigative committee, comprising Muslim scholars, leaders and government officials, to look into the issue while the head of the Arabic school, who admitted to directing the punishment, has been asked to step aside pending the conclusion of the investigation.

“The government has also taken the affected students to a public hospital for proper medical examination and treatment. This is to ensure that none of them suffers any physical or psychological damage.”

The government appealed to the people of the area to be calm “while the committee does it works and submits a report for further action”.