Kushama village is an agrarian rural set up with virtually no economic activity apart from the seasonal farming which is the household occupation of dwellers of the village. Situated in Kura local government of Kano state, Kushama is about 40 kilometres from Kano. Though the road is a bit motorable from Kura through Dan Hassan town, it was however desolate without vehicles coming from the place when this reporter visited.
The curious eyes staring at us while we were driving through suggest that such visits are strange there. After several enquiries, we finally arrived Kushama. At the sight of our vehicle, everybody looked at us with inquisitive eyes. We met a group of elderly people at the village square and asked for Malam Musa`s house, father of Asma`u. After some minutes of enquiry, one of the elders identified himself as grandfather of the girl and directed us to the house about some three hundred metres away.
My colleague who was a lady entered the house but discovered that neither Asma`us father nor her mother was around. However, we met Aisha, the younger sister of Asma`u who instantly told us that Asma`u has again been given out to another mistress in Kano as house-help.
Weekly Trust investigation revealed that Asma`u was taken to Hajiya Bilkisu Mu'awiyya, her tormentor, as housemaid by her grandmother Rakiya who became acquainted with the lady owing to the grandmother's business of supplying groundnut oil to the family. The young Asma`u was never enrolled into any school as promised by her employer when she was brought to her at her residence in Kabuga Housing estate. Grandma Rakiya stated that Hajiya Balkisu solicited her assistance for a house-help and promised to send the girl to school in addition to the sum of N1, 000 as monthly salary. That was how she now brought her own granddaughter who had stayed with Hajiya Bilkisu for four months after which she was paid.
When Barira, Asmau`s mother was finally met in the village, she explained that when they heard the story they were saddened, however there is nothing they could do about it. "We gave out the girl to Hajiya Bilkisu on condition that she will take care of her but since she maltreated her, we leave the matter to God to judge". But at the mean time Asma`u was nowhere to be found and the mother claimed that she had been to Zaria to stay with a relation. Upon our revelation that we learnt Asma`u has been given out as housemaid elsewhere, she suddenly became confused. "She was telling a lie and you know children can just imagine things like that," Barira remarked.
Malam Saidu, the grandfather of Asma`u explained that he knew little about the problem but all he could say was that Asma`u was taken to Kano to assist Hajiya Bikisu with her domestic work. According to him, if they knew such maltreatment could happen to their ward, they would not have allowed the woman to engage the girl.
It was gathered that when the impious act was carried out on the young girl, a neighbour (name withheld) reported the matter to National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) Kano zonal office. At NAPTIP office, the Zonal Head, Hassan Hamisu Tahir confirmed the story where he said both the accused and the victim were invited and their statements were recorded. He also said several witnesses and the neighbour who reported the case were interrogated and that the matter has been transferred to NAPTIP Legal Department for thorough investigation before it would be taken to court for prosecution.
Under the law establishing NAPTIP, anybody who employs persons below 18 years of age as domestic help risks going to jail for five years. Hajiya Bilkisu, the employer of the young maid vehemently denied the story, saying that it was just a ploy to tarnish her image. She attributed it to her former house boy who had promised to deal with her when she sacked him recently. She alleged it was he who conspired with one of her neighbours to dent her name, arguing that there was no iota of truth in the allegation.
Poverty without hope......
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