More than 300 young boys discovered in a new "house of horror" in Nigeria

Nigerian police discovered a "house of horror" at a Koranic school in Katsina State in early October. 300 young boys were subjected to many abuses, including torture and sexual abuse.

A new "House of horror" was found in a Koranic school in Katsina State, northern Nigeria, in which more than 300 young boys were chained, tortured and sexually abused, the local police said Monday, rescuing them.

In early October, a police operation had already exposed the practices of another Islamic institution, the neighboring state of Kaduna, where so many students were subjected to the same mistreatment.

Students escape

This discovery follows a descent into the Koranic school of Daura, after students escaped Sunday from their homes and denounced in the street their living conditions.

"We have learned that the detainees here are over 300 and that because of the inhuman treatment they endure, they revolted yesterday (Sunday)"Katsina police chief Sanusi Buba told reporters. "Some of the detainees escaped while about 60 others stayed on the spot", he added, adding that most of them were found chained.

According to Mr. Buba, this establishment was created 40 years ago by a 78-year-old Muslim cleric, Bello Mai Almajirai, who later transferred management to his son.

There were students from "Various regions of Nigeria" – including the state of Katsina and neighboring Niger – brought by their families to learn the Koran and be treated especially for drug addiction.

Inhuman conditions

The residents were "Subject to inhuman conditions"Some students revealed that they had been raped by their teachers, said the police chief. He also promised to arrest the owner of the establishment and his teachers who managed to escape during the raid, who will have to "Face the full anger of the law".

The authorities are committed to establishing the identity of the victims so that they can find their families.

Located in the north of the country, a few kilometers from the border with Niger, Daura is the hometown of the country's current president, Muhammadu Buhari. Private Islamic schools are widespread in northern Nigeria, mainly Muslim, where poverty is very high and public services are often absent.

The high rate of drug use and the lack of rehabilitation facilities are driving many parents to enroll their children in these informal schools of recovery.

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More than 300 young boys discovered in a new "house of horror" in NigeriaOuest-France.fr

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