Bullied to death: The Story of Hassan Adamu

Recently, a 17-year-old SS3 student of Government Science and Technical College (GSTC), Potiskum, Yobe State, Hassan Ahmadu, paid the ultimate price of bullying, Weekend Trust reports. He died minutes after being brutally beaten by students, who were said to be his classmates.

His sudden death after the incident shook the school community by storm, leaving many parents and teachers in a dilemma over the increased state of bullying in schools in the country.

The recent incident shows how bullying is gradually becoming the order of the day, especially in schools, and there are no checks in place to curb the growing menace.

The family of the late student said they were heartbroken upon hearing the news that he was labelled a thief and beaten to death by a group of classmates, an allegation that turned out to be false.

His brother, Danlami Misko, who spoke for the family, revealed how the children who tortured Hassan broke the news of his death to their mother.

He said that after a brutal beating by the children, Ahmadu felt he could no longer bear the pain and admitted that he took the phone to his mother’s house in Potiskum town.

He said, “The children tied his hands and went to his mother’s house in the town and asked if the boy left any stolen phone with her. She said no.

“Disturbed by the situation, his mother asked them to find out if he kept the phone elsewhere, but they told her that his phone was with them. One of them called another student in the school to link the mother up with her son, but unfortunately, he was dead.

“The boy told his mother that he appeared unconscious and hadn’t woken up since the time they left him.  They rushed to the school and discovered that he was dead.”

Hassan’s mother and father, who were in tears and upset about the loss of their child, said they raised him and his siblings so well that they would not touch anyone’s property.

According to his mother, the children said her son left his charger at a charging point, where one of the children plugged his phone. “Unfortunately, they discovered that the phone was missing and asked him to produce it. He told them he was not even aware they had plugged a phone there. That was how the beating started, and we lost him forever,” she lamented.

However, the father, Malam Ahmadu, told Weekend Trust amidst tears that the government officials who first came to tell him about his son’s death had a conflicting report.

“They told us that he took ill and died, unknown to them that his mother was the first to know what happened to him. It took the intervention of the district head of Gudi to calm people who accused the government officials of trying to hide the truth,” he said.

He said the circumstances surrounding his son’s death would be investigated and the students involved must be punished.

“The commissioner said they made some arrests, and they were taken to the Criminal Investigation Department in Damaturu. I hope they were telling the truth.  I want justice for my son. And if the government doesn’t treat the matter with justice, I leave it in the hands of God,” he said.

At Gadaka, his hometown, the community came together to support the family in burying him after a funeral prayer.

One of their neighbours, Hassan Gadaka, described the deceased as a very calm and sensible boy who always avoided trouble.

He said, “In fact, he memorised the Holy Quran and loved to be around his friends whenever he was on vacation. He moulded clay bricks and sold to support his family and cover his school expenses.

“Everyone was surprised when they heard that he was accused of stealing a phone because he was not the type of person who could do that. Ask anybody here, and they would tell you.”

Another member of the community, Samaila Ishak, described Hassan as a very obedient child who always sought religious knowledge.

“He memorised the Holy Quran and was never known for any bad habit or trait, let alone touching people’s property. We were all surprised when the information came to us that he was accused of stealing a phone.

“Sadly, they couldn’t find the phone on him or in his property. They killed an innocent boy.

“Put yourself in his father’s shoes. This is somebody who suffered to give his child a proper upbringing, paid his school fees, but he met some uncultured children who wasted his life,” he said.

Parents enraged

Parents who spoke with Weekend Trust decried the spate of bullying in schools, saying there’s an urgent need to curb the menace.

One of the parents, Alhaji Ibrahim Potiskum, who said the issue of bullying should be taken seriously in schools, blamed the school authority for allowing children to sneak in phones.

“You can see what parents’ and teachers’ negligence can cause. How can parents allow their children to take phones to school?

“You know how social media is destroying the lives of children. They practise everything they see there, whether wrong or right,” he said.

Another parent who attended the three-day fidau prayer of the deceased asked: “Where was the duty master and other teachers when the incident happened?”

He called on the community to do better on their children’s character, saying, “We also want teachers and parents to teach the students the consequences of bullying.”

School’s account

The duty master’s report noted that some students accused the late student of stealing their phone, woke him up in the night and started beating him. But they didn’t find the phone with him.

He added that the beating continued after subhi (morning) prayers when they brought him out and beat him again. He noted that it was at that moment that he fainted. He died before he was taken to hospital.

“Hospital officials confirmed that the boy sustained two fractures and internal bleeding, which led to his death,” he said, but did not want his name in print.

Also, a source from the Ministry of Education who didn’t want his name mentioned because he is not officially designated to speak for the ministry, said a committee had been set up by the state government’s delegation that visited the school and the deceased’s parents in Gadaka town.

“The delegation led by the commissioner for education first went to the school in Potiskum to investigate and properly brief the governor.

“The DPO and the area commander were also present. Eleven students were arrested and interrogated at the area command before they were conveyed to the CID in Damaturu.

“The state delegation later moved to Gadaka town where they condoled with the parents and sympathised with community members,” the source said.

The Yobe State police command confirmed the incident, assuring of a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the student’s death.

A statement by the spokesman of the command, Abdulkarim Dungus, also observed: “This tragic event has raised concerns about student safety and bullying in Nigerian schools.”

When contacted, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education in the state, Prof Abba Idriss Adam, said he would get back to our correspondent.

According to studies, 51.9 per cent to 78 per cent of Nigerian students have been bullied, with boys oftentimes being both perpetrators and victims. Physical bullying (hitting) is common, along with verbal and emotional abuse. Victims suffer from fear, anxiety, academic decline, depression, mental-breakdown, loneliness, health challenges and in severe cases, death.

Experts say, there is a need for stronger, enforced policies, better training for school staff, and improved parental involvement. The Federal Ministry of Education, in an effort to eradicate the menace of bullying, introduced a national policy against bullying alongside reporting mechanisms, including helplines,  but fear of retaliation often prevents reporting.

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