The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has raided another illegal rehabilitation home in Zaria, Kaduna State and rescued 11 inmates, including those in chains.
The personnel arrested four teacher from the home in an operation carried out around 8:am Tuesday.
The illegal centre, named “School of Malam Aliyu Mai Adaka,” is located at Unguwar Limanci in the ancient city of Zaria.
Daily Trust gathered that three of the inmates were mentally unstable and were found in chains at the centre before they were rescued by the NSCDC officials.
Our reporter observed that some of the adults among them were sick and malnourished with rashes all over their bodies. There were also three children among the inmates.
Parading the suspects and the inmates before newsmen at the NSCDC headquarters in Kaduna, a Deputy Commandant of the Corps, Nnegha Onyema, said the inmates would be handed over to the state government through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development as investigation was still on.
He also said the teachers would be prosecuted after the investigation is completed as he urged parents to desist from taking their children to such unrecognised rehabilitation centres.
The head teacher at the Centre, Malam Muktar Aliyu, said he inherited the centre from their late father four years ago.
“I’m proud of my late father because he was a popular Malam in Zaria City and people know how he rehabilitated many of such children in the city. So, we inherited the centre from him four years ago.
“The inmates were brought to us by their parents for treatment because we can cure any kind of mental sickness,” he said.
He also said that one of the inmates is Yoruba and was brought to the centre by his relative.
He added that all the inmates were kept in their house as he denied torturing the inmates, saying they were only taught Islamic knowledge while undergoing the rehabilitation.
One of the victims, Abdullahi Aliyu Ishola, from Osun State, said he was brought to Zaria by his aunt’s husband who they promised to get him a job.
Deputy Governor of the State Hadiza Balarabe said the inmates will be taken to the hospital for treatment before they are handed over to their parents.
