The Zamfara Circle Community Initiative, a non-governmental organization, has appealed to the Zamfara State Government to urgently support stranded students in Cyprus who were reportedly abandoned by the previous administration. According to the organization, these students, sponsored by Zamfara State, are now facing severe hardships, with many sleeping in mosques or relying on menial jobs for survival.

Addressing the media in Gusau on Saturday, Dr. Lawal Aminu, representing Zamfara Circle, highlighted the plight of these students, noting their lack of accommodation and expired visas, which place them at risk of deportation and imprisonment. He reported cases of students already detained or deported, urging the state government to act swiftly.

Aminu shared, “Living in a foreign country without legal documentation puts them at risk of imprisonment and deportation.” The organization had filed a Freedom of Information request on October 17, 2024, with the state’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology to understand the government’s plans. However, no response has been received.

Social critic Dan Bello, in a video, brought further attention to the students’ struggles, showing how some work labor-intensive jobs to afford basic necessities. This prompted a statement from the state, outlining current efforts to address the situation.

Responding on behalf of the Zamfara State Government, Mustafa Kaura, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, acknowledged the students’ difficulties. He attributed the challenges to the former administration of Governor Bello Mattawalle, which he claimed had sent students to Cyprus without sufficient arrangements. Kaura stated, “These students went to Cyprus during the administration of former governor Bello Mattawalle with only temporary arrangements due to political motivations.”

Kaura assured that Governor Dauda Lawal has established a committee to assess the students’ needs, pledging, “By the grace of God, those students would soon be assisted.”