BY USMAN NASIDI, Kaduna.
The Nigeria Association of the Blinds (NAB), Kaduna State chapter, has described the barbaric act of beating one of it member, Malama Sadiya Muhammad Halliru, who happens to be a married house wife based in Zaria city of Kaduna State by a fellow co-tenant leaving in the same compound.
While speaking to newsmen on Thursday in Kaduna, the Chairman Kaduna State, Comrade Ibrahim Abubakar explained that it’s disheartening to hear that a former Judge of Kaduna State Shari’a Court, Khadi Mahmud Shehu was involved in such bad menace of breaching the laws instead of ensuring he enforced law abiding.
According to him, despite knowing Sadiya Muhammad Halliru is a married woman and Person With Disabilities (PDW) is a co-tenant leaving together with them at the same compound, the culprit with his family still went ahead to beat her up in her room in Gaskiya Layout at Tudun Jikum in Zaria, Kaduna.
Comrade Ibrahim added that, Sadiya Muhammad has every right to leave like anyone in the society and even with special consideration in every situation, and for no reason there’s no way anyone can abuse her right to leaving and freedom, so it’s unacceptable for anyone to breach her right.
He said, “the Kaduna State government has enact a law guiding the rights of Persons With Disabilities PDW in the state, so for that reason we are going to take that up to ensure justice is ascertain, despite the ongoing court case proceedings at Zaria.
“Also, we are calling on the Kaduna State government to ensure justice is being done in any ramifications,. mostly considering there’s a law protecting the rights of PWD’s in the state, while we will assure that we will not relent in our efforts of ensuring justice is served against the culprit not minding who he is in the state.”
While condemning the act, the Kaduna State woman leader of Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB), Malama Amina Usman disclosed that they are not sure if the culprit knows the full right of a woman not to talk of someone with disability despite considering him being a former Judge of the Kaduna State Shari’a Court.
Amina noted that, she’s not sure if the accused Khadi Mahmud Shehu has been fair to others while serving as a judge during his time, because there’s no law that gives anyone the rights to molest any individual just for the sake of personal interest hatred between them.
“As a woman and Person With Disability, we are fully ready to go to any length of ensuring we bring him to justice over such abuse of women right in the society, aside the damages caused to her over her sight because Sadiya Muhammad is someone with ambition of serving the society as a nurse after her graduation from the school of nursing.
“We will not accept such attitude from anyone not minding who he is or what he is, besides we are not even sure if he truly served with the Kaduna State Shari’a Court, because if truly he does and knows what the law stated over molestation of women, he wouldn’t have tried acting such law breaching against anyone in the society.
“I wish to call on the good Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Malam Uba Sani, to look into this matter with keen interest and ensure the culprit Khadi Mahmud is punished in such a way that he will serve as an example to others that no one will ever tries such an act against any woman in the state forever, and Sadiya Halliru will be at peace over the judgement.
Similarly, Comrade Isaac Kuyet Joseph, Secretary NAB Kaduna State chapter, expressed worries over the issue, saying the act by the accused and his family clearly indicates that they are not law abiding citizens of the state and they shall face the wrath of the law.
He added that, the association of the Blinds are working hand in hand with it mother body of the PWD’s to ensure justice is being done for Malama Sadiya Muhammad, while they are ever ready to go by the law and what it provides to ensure justice is served upon the accused over the abuse of their members right.