Inside the FCT's disabled colony

At the colony, they are made up of people without limbs, legs, eyes and other conditions. They are from different parts of the country and speak different languages.They live with their wives, husbands and children. Some women, who are physically impaired, keep producing children without legal husbands. In the colony, located at the back of Nigeria Military Cemetery, Karamajiji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), they have different leaders, unions and a local chief.People who have had limbs amputated have separate leaders from others with challenges of eyesight, hearing and other people with special need. But they all give their allegiance to the local traditional ruler called, "Emir of the disabled."

The Emir of the disabled in the FCT, Alhaji Muhammed Sulaiman Katsina, always holds meetings with the people at the colony and updates them with government policies. His responsibility also includes preaching to the disabled on the need to live peacefully and how to move their society forward.In his absence, other leaders can assemble at the palace to discuss vital issues. A stranger is neither allowed to take pictures nor conduct interviews with residents of the colony."These members can be dangerous so, you need to do all that you are doing here with tact. If they are angry, it will be difficult for someone to calm them down. We have a peculiar situation. Whenever we are angry, we can do anything," one of the disabled said in confidence.

"Just like the politicians, those with disability are not precluded from politics. We have leaders in the colony. We have various camps, unions and allies. Money could be embezzled by anyone that has the opportunity. Our psychology is different. We have lots of angry people because of our situation," he added.One of the disabled with a National and International connection, Miss OmotundeAllen Thomson, has built a primary school in the colony where both the old and young attend school.

The school is made up of mostly disabled children, old and young. They have five classes with eight teachers.

A woman with children at the disabled colony school, Binta Abdullahi, said she was not opportuned to go to school but will ensure that her children get a formal education."Since my children started attending this school, they are learning fast. I was not privileged to attend this kind of school. But I have made up my mind that all my children must go to school. This is the only way they can better our condition," Binta said.

Speaking to Pulse, the school's head teacher, Malam Shuaibu Ahmed, said the children are doing well despite their ‘special’ situation.

He said even though the students are brought from the slums and mostly school drop outs, the dedicated ones are doing well.

"Most of the students we have here are school dropouts. Most of them don't like coming to the school but the performance of those who have been attending classes has been impressive," Ahmed said."It is not only the primary school located at Karamajiji that the disabled have. According to Miss Omotunde Allen Thomson, the deaf are also not left behind when it comes to education."We also embarked on so many projects if you talk about the deaf people, particularly; we are commencing a project in one of the New Karu villages called "Koya."We will start educational programmes. If you visit the vicinity, you will know that education there is what they can afford with ease," Omotunde said.

People from different parts of the country always pass the night at the colony whenever they are in Abuja for a programme, it was gathered.Pastor Ayuba Yakis Balewa who had his leg amputated since 2005 said he left Bauchi State for Abuja following an invitation with a promise that he will get a prosthetic leg free of charge.

"My challenge began in 2005. I had an accident and my leg was amputated above the knee. Since then, we've been looking for assistance," Ayuba said. One of the disabled who has turned her world around into ability, Omotunde, has gone into partnership with a foreign charity organization Tolaram, which provides artificial limbs free of charge to these set of special people.The programme to provide these services holds annually depending on the number of people with disability they are able to get. Sometimes the programme holds twice a year.

Some of the victims living at the disabled colony and others who come from different parts of the country were not born disabled. Many of them just like pastor Ayuba encountered such challenge through an accidentUmar Idris Lere from Bauchi state said he had an accident in 2009 on a motorbike and his leg had to be amputated.

"The business I do cannot buy me artificial leg but here we are in Abuja to get it free," Umar said. "Most of us you are seeing in this condition are facing serious psychological trauma," he added.Some of them have spent 20 years living in such conditions without help. They beg, while others engage themselves in menial jobs to take care of themselves and their family members.

Abubakar Hassan Yusuf had an accident 20 years ago. Even though he has been farming, because of his condition, the farm produce is not enough for him to take care of his family and has to beg to take care of his three wives and 23 children.But Ibrahim Mohammed who said he had his physical challenge for seven years now, is lucky to have an extended family that takes care of his needs and that of his children. His desire has been that he gets an artificial leg. "If I have an artificial leg, it will help me to do jobs I was unable to do before."Several women are not left behind as some of them have had their legs amputated following domestic accidents.

Daso Musa from Gusau Zamfara state, who said she had her leg amputated a few months ago, disclosed further that she never knew what disability entails until that fateful day. "I fell inside a fire while cooking. They took me to a hospital and the leg has to be amputated," she said.

Unlike Daso's tale, Hajiya Kalka Shehu from Gusau said she has been living in that condition for 12 years. According to her, since she had her leg amputated, it is like the world has come to an end. "I thank God, I am getting out of that stigma now. I just came to Abuja to get the free artificial leg," she said.

A 15 year old Ummi Rabiu from Misau said they had an accident on a bike when she was just six years old. "The leg broke. I was taken to so many places but the leg did not heal. Part of the leg was gangrened and it had to be amputated at a hospital in Misau, Bauchi State."