The Rotary Club of Bompai, Kano State has facilitated the training and release of some of the 130 children charged with “minor offences” from the Remand Home in Goron Dutse.
It was gathered between December 1, 2021 and February 24, 2022, the Rotary Club facilitated the release of 15 juvenile offenders.
Working in conjunction with Kano Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the Young Evolving and Smart Concepts (YES), 20 other minors were trained and released.
At the Remand Home yesterday, no fewer than 90 kids were being lectured on the dangers of drug abuse. Repentant juvenile offenders gave heart rending testimonies that drew tears from their relatives. The outstanding ones and their teachers were given awards.
President of the Rotary Club of Bompai, Adewale Koiki said, for committing those minor offences, the kids aged below 18, were asked to pay “little amount of money or some ‘madu’ of rice or corn.”
He explained that the offenders stay between three to six months depending on their offences.
“This event is made to contribute to humanity. Part of our project is to give hope to the inmates. We have been able to train some of the children in various skills in the past three months. We hope that with the acquisition of the skills, they will be able to change their ways,” he said.
The drug abuse campaign tagged: ‘Change Your Lifestyle, Say No To Drugs,’ came after Rotary Club celebrated its 117th birthday anniversary. It is believed that drug abuse is a motivator of crime.
“We have launched a campaign against drug abuse and we are training juvenile offenders in various skills in order to change their bad ways to good,” Sagab Sani Ahmed, Rotary Club of Bompai and District Governor Nominee (DGN), said.
President-elect of Rotary Club Bompai, Miriam Obi, said: “This is the closing ceremony (third edition) of the Club’s Annual Interventions for Juvenile Delinquents at the Kano State Remand Home. It is tagged: “Good Behaviour Is Answer To Good Living.”
“The third phase of intervention includes correctional lecture sessions for 130 juvenile offenders held on 27 November, 2021; three months vocational skills acquisition training held from December 6, 2021 to February 20, 2022.”
She added that the Rotary Club Bompai influenced the training and release of 15 juvenile delinquents on December 1, 2021; 45 as at December 12, 2021 and 50 who would be rescued before the end of the closing ceremony on February 24, 2022.
Obi explained that the campaign is aimed at addressing some identified issues that often lead to drug abuse through advocacy, sensitisation on dangers of drug abuse and rehabilitation of abusers.
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“Rotary is a club for men and women designed to help the less privileged. What we are doing here today is to help these young ones get a better future.
“Today, we are also launching campaign against drug abuse. For 117 years, Rotary Club members have been meeting the needs of the people through humanitarian services.
“We call on well-meaning Nigerians to join the club,” Obi said.
YES Executive Director, Bala Baliqis, said from their findings from the courts, some of the kids have psychiatric issues so they subject them to physiotherapy to correct them before freeing them to reunite with their relatives.
“The Remand home had about 130 juvenile offenders when the three-month programme started. As at now we have 95 of them here because as we free some of them, others are being brought in on frequent basis.
“We have trained 70 of them in solar installation, barbing, soap making and other skills acquisition programmes.
“We do correctional lecture section. We follow up on their cases after release.
“I am happy to inform you that most of them who were released are now in school, while others are managing their personal businesses.”
Deputy Director of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Malam Mohammed Bala, advised children to shun negative affairs that lead to abuse of drug.
“All hands must be on deck to save our children from the menace of drug abuse. Government on its part is doing everything possible to discourage it among children and youths,” he added.