Operatives of the Bauchi Police Command have raided the Mallam Kawu Rehabilitation and Skill Acquisition Center in Yakubu Wanka, Bauchi Local Government Area, arresting its founder, Mallam Kawu.
Kawu was arrested on allegations of abuse, sodomy, and exploitation of inmates.
Ten children were also evacuated from the facility during the operation.
The raid was carried out in collaboration with the Hisbah Command of the State Shariah Commission.
Media Talk Africa learnt that the majority of the inmates were drug addicts taken to the centre for rehabilitation and to learn skills such as carpentry, welding, and computer training.
A former inmate, Yahaya Yusuf, reportedly lodged a complaint against the founder, alleging that the facility harboured criminals and engaged in acts of sodomy.
He also accused Mallam Kawu of sexual abuse and claimed to have contracted HIV as a result of sodomy by the founder and visitors to the facility.
Briefing journalists about the outcome of the raid on Tuesday, the Hisbah Permanent Commissioner, Aminu Balarabe Isa, revealed that children from countries such as Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, and Côte d’Ivoire were brought to the centre under the guise of rehabilitation.
The Permanent Commissioner stated: “Initially, the number of inmates at the centre was over 300, including foreigners from Niger and Cameroon. There were underage children among the inmates, as well as those who were mentally unstable. However, before the operation, Mallam Kawu released many of the inmates. Details of the remaining inmates found at the centre will be taken.”
Also speaking to journalists, the spokesman of the Bauchi Police Command, Ahmed Wakil, disclosed that Mallam Kawu had ignored previous invitations for questioning, prompting the raid at the request of the Bauchi State Government.
According to Wakil: “The police received complaints about the rehabilitation centre and first invited Mallam Kawu for questioning, but he did not honour the invitation and ignored several calls to his phone.”
He added that Kawu was arrested and taken away by the police for questioning, while investigations are ongoing to ascertain the veracity of the allegations.
