Presidential panel donates N200,000 to 13-year-old amputee

chika ebuzor

September 21, 2017 9:45 PM

The Panel’s Chairman, Justice Obiolele George-Will, announced the donation at the closing session of an event on Thursday in Maiduguri.

The Presidential Panel of Investigation for Review of Armed Forces Compliance with Human Right Obligations and Rules of Engagement donated N200,000 toward the education of 13-year old amputee, Muhammad Sale.

The Panel’s Chairman, Justice Obiolele George-Will, announced the donation at the closing session of an event on Thursday in Maiduguri.

George-Will said the donation was to enable Sale to enrol in school.

He explained that N100,000 of the amount would be kept under the custody of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for Sale’s education, while N100,000 would be given to the parents for his upkeep.

“Only N100, 000 would be given to the parents for his upkeep. The remaining balance should be put under the custody of NHRC,” he said.

He added that the panel would present Sale’s case while submitting its report to President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that his right to education was guaranteed.

The Borno Commissioner for Justice, Mr Kakashehu Lawal, also donated N250,000 to the boy, while the Borno chapter of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also contributed to Sale.

Mallam Muhammad, the amputee’s father, commended the panel, the commissioner and the NBA forthe donations.

Narrating his ordeal, Muhammad said that the boy lost his hands after a brutal punishment by a soldier serving in the war against Boko Haram insurgents.

Muhammad said the incident occurred in the past 15 months at Cimari area of Maiduguri.

He explained that his son served as house boy to the soldiers deployed in the area, adding that they also sent the victim on errands.

Muhammad added that the soldier in question accused the boy of stealing, thus, used rope and tied him to an electrical pole.

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He said “Sale remained tied to the pole for over seven hours and when released, his hands were damaged.

“We went to the hospital but they could not treat him. His right hand had to be amputated,while the left hand was mutilated.”

Sale’s father said he reported the case to NHCR, which took the case up, adding that the soldier was later court-marshaled and sentenced to four years imprisonment.

“Military authorities took care of the medical bills but we came to the panel because nobody cared about his education,” Muhammad said.

chika ebuzor