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More torture centre uncovered in Zaria, inmates freed

More-torture-centre-uncovered-in-Zaria-inmates-freed

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Kaduna State on Tuesday raided two rehabilitation homes in Zaria, Zaria Local Government Area of the state.

At the centre, known as ‘Malam Aliyu Mai Adakan Salatul Fatih’in Zaria, eleven inmates, mostly men and children were rescued.

The two centres are located at Limanchi Corner and Marmara, all in Zaria Local Government Area of the state.

Unlike previously discovered centres in Rigasa, the Zaria rehabilitation centre had no female inmate.

Deputy Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Kaduna State Command, Mr Nnegha Aloysious Onyema, who paraded the owners of the centres, also disclosed that three inmates died as a result of the unbearable conditions at the centre.

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The raid on illegal rehabilitation homes started weeks after police rescued 300 inmates from a centre in the same Rigasa area of the Kaduna State.

All the inmates at the Zaria centre were in leg and hand chains.

The NSCDC boss said the 11 inmates were rescued following an intelligence report gathered by the corps.

He added that the inmates are between the ages of 11 and 40 years.

“We busted two of the centres in Limanchi Corner and Marmara Centres all in Zaria and evacuated 11 inmates ranging from 11-40  years of age from the two centres while one other centre had released their inmates following information that other centres have been busted but we arrested the operator,” he said.

Onyema also said that the five operators of the centres and the victims in their custody would be handed over to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development for protective custody and prosecution.

The State Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe in company with the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan and the Commissioner for Human Services and Social development Hajia Hafsat Baba were at the Headquarters of the NSCDC.

They all condemned the inhuman treatment meted out to victims in the name of rehabilitation.

Kaduna State Deputy Governor condemned the inhuman treatment against a fellow human being.

Balarabe while speaking with newsmen, assured that the government would take necessary actions against the operators while the victims would be provided necessary medical care before being handed over to their parents.

She urged parents to desist from taking their children to such centres, else they would be made to face the full weight of the law.

One of the victims,  a 30-year-old Abdullahi Ishola from Osun State told newsmen that he was lured to the centre be a family member.

According to him, “A family member just took me there and all of a sudden, I found myself in chains.

“My legs and hands were changed and ever since then, I was subjected to inhuman treatment. I was beaten regularly and denied food for several days,” he said.

Ishola, who claims to hold a National Diploma in Mass Communications from Iree Polytechnic in Osun State, expressed gratitude at finally regaining his freedom.

One of the operators of the centres, Muktar Aliyu, claimed that the inmates were sent to the centres by their parents. He also denied maltreating the inmates.

 

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