The Zamfara Circle Community Initiative has voiced concerns about the poor living conditions faced by Zamfara State-sponsored students studying in Cyprus.
The group revealed that some students still lack proper accommodation, with some male students forced to sleep in a mosque.
Dr. Aminu Lawal, Chairman of the Zamfara Circle Community Initiative, shared these concerns at a press conference on Friday night in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital. He reported that many students are forced to do menial jobs to make ends meet.
“The students face exploitation by employers due to expired visas and passports,” he said, noting that living without proper documentation puts them at risk of imprisonment and deportation.
He added that one student was already deported to Nigeria in handcuffs, and another remains imprisoned in Cyprus.
Dr. Lawal disclosed that on October 17, 2024, the Initiative submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Zamfara State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology to gather information on the students’ situation.
The goal was to obtain balanced information from both the government and other stakeholders, including parents, civil society organizations and students.
“To date, we haven’t received any response from the ministry,” he stated, adding that a popular critic, Dan Bello, released a video describing the students’ struggles and their need to work in order to afford food.
He explained that the video led the governor’s spokesperson to issue a statement about the government’s actions.
In August 2024, a three-member committee was set up to verify the outstanding tuition owed to the university for 93 students on scholarship since 2019, confirm the students’ statuses, and devise a plan to address any liabilities. However, the committee achieved limited progress.
Dr. Lawal noted that the committee even avoided visiting the mosque where some male students sleep, questioning, “What would change if we were to see the place?”
The Initiative recommended that the state government urgently provide funds for the students’ accommodation and living expenses and renew their passports and visas to prevent further arrests or deportations.
They also urged the government to work with the Nigerian Mission in Ankara to help secure the release of any detained students and to settle the outstanding tuition fees based on verified records from the university.
