Nigeria: Police free chained, abused children from Islamic school


Nigerian police have freed more than 300 men and boys from an Islamic school in the northern city of Kaduna, where some of the students had been held in chains. Seven of the school's staff members were arrested.

Nigerian police rescue children in chains

Nigerian police said Friday they had found and freed more than 300 men and boys from a school in the northern city of Kaduna. Many of them reported being tortured and sexually abused, and about 100 were found chained in one of the school buildings.

Read more: Human Rights Watch accuses Nigeria of abusing children's rights"We found around 100 students including children as young as 9, in chains stuffed in a small room all in the name of reforming them and making them responsible persons," police spokesman Yakubu Sabo told the AFP news agency. Sabo said the victims had been kept in "debasing and inhuman conditions."

The Islamic school specialized in children who were suffering from drug-related issues and similar problems.

The parents were apparently not allowed inside the premises and instead were meeting students outside.

"All they thought was their children are being taught the Quran and good manners as they looked subdued," Sabo added.

Most of the children came from northern Nigeria, although authorities have identified two from Burkina Faso.

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