Islamiyya school students’ food looted, not hoarded foodstuff at warehouse- Kano anti-corruption boss
Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission says preliminary investigation into the property of the Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf’s Chief of Staff, Shehu Wada Sagagi broken into by hoodlums was an Islamiyya School and not a warehouse as claimed in many reports housing palliative rice for the poor to help cushion the biting economic hardship in the country, which he had hidden in the warehouse.
The Commission Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji RiminGado stated this on Friday while speaking to journalists over an investigation into the invasion of the property by hoodlums who looted palliative bags of rice earmarked for preparing food for the students of the school.
SolaceBase recalls that a few days ago, some hoodlums invaded the Islamiyya School and looted some 25kg bags of palliative rice found in the school.
The school is located at Gandun Albasa, Kano Municipal Local Government Area.
However, some media reports said the place is a warehouse belonging to the Chief of Staff to the governor, Shehu Wada Sagagi.
The anti-corruption chairman, who confirmed that the building belongs to Shehu Wada Sagagi, said it is an Islamiyya School and the palliative rice was a support by the government to such schools as the students are fed in the morning and afternoon before they close for the day in the evening by the owner of the school, Shehu Sagagi
‘’Part of our investigation revealed that it is not a boarding Islamiyya school but rather the students are fed with food prepared in the school with breakfast and lunch daily. Hence this formed part of the consideration for the school to qualify to benefit from the palliative rice.’’
‘’Some other Islamiyya schools similarly benefited from the government gesture, considering the fact that the school is free as the students don’t pay any fee and writing materials are also provided free.
‘’However, the commission is continuing with its investigation to uncover the perpetrators of the act of looting the food items, ‘’Muhuyi Magaji added.
However, SolaceBase reporter, who visited the area also observed that the building is a school with classrooms and boards.
It also has over one hundred students who are studying Quran memorization and other Islamic studies
The reports circulating alleged that hundreds of bags of rice were stolen, with some saying the food looted was about three trucks’ worth, which were secretly taken to the building by the chief of staff, who refused to distribute them.
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However, the Director of the school, Malam Mukhtar Darma, speaking on behalf of the Chief of Staff, denied the news reports claiming the building is a warehouse.
He said the allegation is baseless, adding that the building is rather an Islamiyya school for the benefit of the people in the community.
He added that the food looted by the protesters was for the students who are fed freely both morning and afternoon, while condemning the act and the media reports.
Darma noted that, “The youths broke our school doors, windows, destroyed our fans and took away bags of rice of about forty bags, contrary to what people are saying that hundreds of bags of rice were kept there.
“I was very shocked and disappointed because, apart from two square meals given to students, everything in the school is free, including uniforms, books, and pens. And I swear to God, the food stolen was meant to feed the students, not kept for any other reason.
A mother of one of the students, Jamila Ibrahim, who said she has two children in different classes in the school, described the act by the hoodlums and the allegations as disappointing.
She said, “Our children study freely in this school and are fed twice every day. The school provides food for them and sometimes even with meat. Some of them ate and took the remaining back home for their siblings.
Another mother, Maryam Yakub, who also said she has two children in the school, confirmed that the building is a school, saying, “Uniforms were given to my kids for free and they get their two square meals every day provided by the school. Do the same to this also.”
A student in the school, Maryam Sulaiman, who said she has almost completed memorizing the Quran, also decried the youths’ actions, saying the food looted was meant for them.
Another student said she spent one year in the school memorizing the Quran, adding that she didn’t have to worry about food as the school provided everything for them.
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The school neighbour, who identified himself as Yahya Musa Idris, said he was surprised when he heard that people were alleging that the school is a warehouse.
According to him, the school was initially Sagagi’s house but it is now a school for Quran memorization since the time he left the area over a year ago. Some students came on weekends and some during working days.
“The school provides food for them every day, and there are two women who cook this food’’.
Spokesperson of the vigilante group in the area, Abubakar Abdullahi, Usman Shehu, said our attention was called when the hoodlums into broke the building, and they quickly arrived at the scene seeing people carrying bags of rice on their heads. However, because they were many, they overpowered us.
He added that, by my estimation, about 30 bags of rice were looted, and they were able to recover one bag of rice, “but unfortunately, someone broke into our office and stole the rice.
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