Inside Kano‘s internally displaced children’s school

The little scholars were brought from Borno State by the Kano State government to  shield them from possible psychological trauma due to what they have gone through. They are children whose parents had been killed or went missing as a result of attacks by Boko Haram insurgents. Some of the children, who spoke to Daily […]

The little scholars were brought from Borno State by the Kano State government to  shield them from possible psychological trauma due to what they have gone through.
They are children whose parents had been killed or went missing as a result of attacks by Boko Haram insurgents.
Some of the children, who spoke to Daily Trust said some of them lost fathers, while others lost mothers and few of them both parents in the attacks by the insurgents.
The children are within the school age limit and yet the gory incidents that led to the deaths of their parents still remain  fresh in their memories.
Some of them recount how they lost their parents. They said some of their parents were shot dead in market places, others at home, while some died of heart attacks following the trauma they went through.
For 10-year-old Muhammad Abdullahi Goza, the day his father was killed by the Boko Haram fighters will forever remain unforgettable. He said: “I was sitting with my father in front of our house when suddenly a group of armed men stormed the place. They asked my father to follow them and he refused, so they shot him three times in the chest and he died on the spot.”
He explained that following the development, members of the community ran into a nearby bush for their lives. Young Muhammad said after his father was killed, “I was taken to my grandmother in a neighbouring village to stay with her.”
Sadiq Abubakar Mamman Biu was not that lucky as he lost both parents. According to him, his father was killed by the insurgents at the market, while his mother was shot dead while returning from a shop.
“I can recall that Boko Haram took over our village at that time. We all ran into the bush and spent days before we later escaped to another village. My brother and I got the information about the deaths of our parents while we were taking refuge in the bush,” he recalled.
Mamman Biu, who wants to become a governor in the future, thanked the former Kano State Governor, Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso for establishing the school and the incumbent governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for providing them with food and clothes, saying, “I pray to Almighty Allah to reward them with Aljannah.”
Ibrahim Maina, 17, from Kukawa local government area in Borno State, who aspires to be a medical doctor in the future said: “My parents were killed by the insurgents about two years ago. We were displaced from our village and my father was killed while we were taking refuge in a bush. He was shot in the leg. Three days after, they stormed our hideout and killed many people, including my wounded father. He was shot in the chest. Few months later my mother died after a brief illness.”
Muhammad Sani Alkali, aged 5, doesn’t know where his father is at present. He told our reporter that his mother died in Maiduguri after a protracted illness, but does not know where his dad is. “I left him in Maiduguri and I don’t know whether he is alive or dead. I don’t even know who brought me to this school.”
Hamid Abdullahi, who lost both parents, told Daily Trust that his father died of a heart attack, while his mother was shot dead by the insurgents.
For 12-year-old Hassan Abdullahi, the whereabouts of his parents are still unknown to him. “I don’t know whether they are still alive or not. Whenever I remember them I feel terribly sad but I am praying for them all the time.”
Abdullahi says the students are fed very well in the school and government is providing basic needs such as clothes.
It could be recalled that the Kano State Internally Displaced Persons School was established by the immediate-past governor of the state, Kwankwaso, to educate the children of displaced persons from North-Eastern states.
Although the school was designed as a model boarding primary school, the pupils are being taught both western and Islamic education, Daily Trust, gathered. While class sessions for Western education are taken from 8-1pm on working days, the Islamiyyah sessions hold between 9 and 12pm on weekends and 3 and 6pm on working days.
The school   also rehabilitates the youngsters. Psychiatric therapy  is offered to the children to help them overcome the trauma they went through.
Daily Trust  learnt that the school, which has children of displaced persons from Adamawa and Yobe states, has a befitting hostel, kitchen, equipped classrooms, toilets and a football field. The school was commissioned with 100 children from Borno State.
The pupils, all males, with age ranging  from 5 to 17, are provided with nutritious food including eggs, meat, fruit and others, our reporter observed.
Daily Trust learnt that the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and some philanthropists in the state have donated clothes, drugs and foodstuffs to the school.
According to the deputy in-charge of the school, Hajiya Amina Akilu Aliyu, the school is manned by 12 workers including nannies, cooks and guards. However, she said the school needs more guards and nannies, “Because some of the children cannot bathe themselves and the few nannies we have are overstretched.”
Hajiya Aliyu dispelled rumors that government has neglected the children.
Dr. Ganduje, recently said the state government has concluded arrangements to bring more internally displaced children to the school.
The governor explained that Kano State will continue to sponsor the youngsters education up to university level.

For 12-year-old Hassan Abdullahi, the whereabouts of his parents are still unknown to him. “I don’t know whether they are still alive or not. Whenever I remember them I feel terribly sad but I am praying for them all the time.”
Abdullahi says the students are fed very well in the school and government is providing basic needs such as clothes.
It could be recalled that the Kano State Internally Displaced Persons School was established by the immediate-past governor of the state, Kwankwaso, to educate the children of displaced persons from North-Eastern states.
Although the school was designed as a model boarding primary school, the pupils are being taught both western and Islamic education, Daily Trust, gathered. While class sessions for Western education are taken from 8-1pm on working days, the Islamiyyah sessions hold between 9 and 12pm on weekends and 3 and 6pm on working days.
The school   also rehabilitates the youngsters. Psychiatric therapy  is offered to the children to help them overcome the trauma they went through.
Daily Trust  learnt that the school, which has children of displaced persons from Adamawa and Yobe states, has a befitting hostel, kitchen, equipped classrooms, toilets and a football field. The school was commissioned with 100 children from Borno State.
The pupils, all males, with age ranging  from 5 to 17, are provided with nutritious food including eggs, meat, fruit and others, our reporter observed.
Daily Trust learnt that the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and some philanthropists in the state have donated clothes, drugs and foodstuffs to the school.
According to the deputy in-charge of the school, Hajiya Amina Akilu Aliyu, the school is manned by 12 workers including nannies, cooks and guards. However, she said the school needs more guards and nannies, “Because some of the children cannot bathe themselves and the few nannies we have are overstretched.”
Hajiya Aliyu dispelled rumors that government has neglected the children.
Dr. Ganduje, recently said the state government has concluded arrangements to bring more internally displaced children to the school.
The governor explained that Kano State will continue to sponsor the youngsters education up to university level.