Group decries travails of Zamfara students abandoned in Cyprus

A group, Zamfara State Community Initiative, has drawn the attention of the state government to the sufferings of the state’s indigenous students studying in Cyprus.

The group tasked the Zamfara State government to act fast to save the innocent students from falling victim to criminal activities.

Addressing a press conference in Gusau, the state capital, the group said the students, who were sponsored to study in Cyprus by the state government, are currently in a terrible situation.

The leader of the group, Dr. Lawal Aminu said the students who have since been ejected from their hostels, are roaming aimlessly in the streets.

Aminu lamented that some of the male students are currently sleeping in mosques.

He further explained that most of the students have since become labourers, having engaged themselves in menial jobs to get food.

Speaking further, he explained that the students were at risk of exploitation by employers due to lack of legal documentation.

Continuing, he stressed that their visas and passports have expired, and as such, anything could happen to them if the state government did not act fast to rescue them.

He said, “Living in a foreign country without legal documentation puts them at risk of imprisonment and deportation.”

According to him, one of the students has suffered this fate and was deported to Lagos in handcuffs, while another student is currently in prison custody.

Aminu highlighted that on October 17, 2024, Zamfara Circle submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Zamfara State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, seeking information on the status of the Zamfara State students stranded in Cyprus.

“To date, however, there has been no response to our inquiry.

“While waiting for the government’s response, a popular critic, Dan Bello, released a video detailing the students’ hardships and how they are forced to work menial jobs to feed themselves.”

He emphasized that the students’ outcries in the video prompted the government, through the governor’s spokesperson, to issue a statement clarifying the efforts made to address the issue.

Aminu appealed to the state government to do the needful in order to put a smile on the faces of both the stranded students and their family members.