By Muheeb Mashood
Aisha Yayha Zakari is a final year law student
and the first female student to head Caliphate Law Clinic in the Faculty of Law, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
She couldn’t muster the sympathy that engulfed her heart after being informed by the Chairman of the Sokoto Legal Aid Council, Shettima Esquire, that the children in Sokoto Remand House are in poor condition.
To satisfy her curiosity, Aisha, together with a team of law students, on 30th May decided to pay a courtesy visit to the Remand House—as part of the humanitarian functions of the clinic.
“I thought of how to make these people happy. I firstly thought of monetary contribution but I later resonated with food support. That’s how we went with packaged food, drinks and sachet water,” she said.
She also said that they proffered legal aid and counseling to the juveniles.
“We informed them the purpose of our visit, interviewed them and gave them words of advice. We made them realize that they’re there not because of hatred but based on what God has destined.”
Delightful Turns to Pathos
It’s a joyful Tuesday morning for Sodiq Nana Firdaus, a 200-level law student.
She decided to bus out with other students for the humanitarian program organized by the clinic.
Nana was elated to be among the privileged students of the faculty randomly selected by the CLC to pay a courtesy visit to the Sokoto Remand House—a mission aimed at
exposing the students of law to a practical aspect of rendering humanitarian support.
Little did she know that her joyful mood would be morphed into a pathos
“Walahi, I almost cried because most of the inmates are in their teens. It’s so pitiful because some of them don’t know their case while some of them and their parents are not even aware they’re there.”
For the purpose of their visitation, every student was allowed to interview the juveniles as suspects or convicts of different offenses.
Inmate Claim to be Innocent
Her interviewee, a 16 years old boy, resembled someone in dire need of help as he claimed to be an innocent suspect of murder resulting from an hatred polygamous disputes.
The inmate told Nana that he was not at home when her sister and her step sister picked up a fight after the latter came to their house abusing his mum before ending up hitting each other with harmed objects.
Both fighters were severely injured, one of them was rushed to a hospital while the other was taken to an herbalist. However, the one admitted to a hospital later died of excessive bleeding, three days after, according to Nana in an interview with the juvenile.
The village head invited an officer of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) who arrested the boy. However, his family members attested that he was not connected to the offense but one officer asserted that he was guilty before he landed at the remand home.
“Some of my family members testified that I’m not around during the occurrence of the incident but one officer said I’m guilty and took me to remand home,” the boy told Nana.
Oyebisi Ojo, a 300-level student is another participant of the program.
“I was shocked because I haven’t been to a place like that ever in my life. No matter how cruel you are, you will pity them. I prayed for God’s intervention in their life because he’s the only one that can bail them”, Oyebisi emotionally prayed for the inmates.
After the program, the students said they gave all their interviews to the lawyers provided by the government to represent the juveniles. This will aid them prosecute and discharge the innocent ones because some of them are serving illegal imprisonment.
NOTE: Students were not allowed to snap pictures or disclose the names of the inmates for confidentiality.