As part of it’s renewed and continued commitment to the plight Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), ASATTAHIR International Foundation has facilitated the rescue of underaged victims of sexual exploitation in Sokoto State.
The victims who are mainly almajiris (pupils of nonformal Islamic school) in Arkilla Area within Sokoto Metropolis are said to be sexually and serially abused by their custodian. The custodian, who doubles as their teacher is reported to have defiled significant number of the underaged children under his care.
Both the accussed and the victims were paraded today the 27th May, 2019 by the Commissioner of Police at the Sokoto State Police Command Headquarters.
The Foundation was initially contacted by the Sokoto Office of the National Human Rights Commission to intervene in both the rescue of the children and support for their rehabilitation and reintegration into the society.
As a response to the invitation, the foundation had series of meetings with commissioner of Police, Sokoto Command, National Human Rights Commission, Staff of the state Ministry for Justice and other Civil Rights Groups with the view to ameliorating the physical and psychological injuries caused on the children.
After series of meetings, consultations and dialogue with stakeholders, the foundation provided relief materials to the victims and shouldered the transportation expense that will reunite the children with their parents. The foundation advised that the school be sealed pending the conclusion of investigation by the police and the Ministry for Justice.
As part of the interaction with the media, the Chairman of the Foundation, Aliyu Sidi Attahiru laments on the devastating socioeconomic condition of the Almajiri child.
Meanwhile the foundation is making efforts to liase with the relevant agencies of government to see to the possibility of conducting comprehensive medical examination of the victims and the need for a legislation to regulate Almajiri Schools in order to guarantee the health, safety and protection of the Vulnerable Children, particularly the Almajiris.
