Sayyeed Sad story and the untold stories of streets kids in Northern Nigeria

Sayyeed Sad story and the untold stories of streets kids in Northern Nigeria

By: Musa Abdullahi Sufi

Sayyeed is 10 years old according to popular Kano based journalist with Freedom Radio Nasir Nasiru Salisu Zango. 

During Zango interview with the child and he narrated the very ugly part of the story caused by his own biological parent divorced but sacrifice their child to social vices while they are enjoying their new partners. 

The 10 year old street boy narrated that "his parents got divorced while he was 8 years old. His father sent him away to the child mother and his (child ) mother also sent him away; reasoning that her new husband cannot host the child that is not his own" Culled from Zango post. 

Since his parents threw him away from their 2 separate home and no one to take care of him Sayyed decided to venture into street roaming for survival.

" I move around from one location to another and join other beggars to get food since my parent can't stay with me anymore and I am doing this for 2 years now. I sleep anywhere I found myself" shared boy statement. 

This further means he got beaten by rain, cold, breezes and powerful winds as season and weather changes. This also means how his interactions is with the social vices bedeviling the society today. 

To stress his experience he inform the public that he is interested in schooling so that he can be rich and feed people because it is not easy to be hungry he said. 

Sayyeed is one of a thousands of kids roaming the streets with many having their parents alive, healthy and sometimes well to do. 

The kids roaming the streets apart from missing what is love they go through hardships, slavery, child labor , sexual assault and abuse, drug abuse and diseased to mention but few

My concern with Sayyeed and the thousands like him are;
1. How lucky he is not to be taken away by mafians
2. How safe is he against being a victim of sexual abuse?
3. What about the pressure to steal in order to survive?
4. If he continue living as such will he ever have a soft heart for anyone ?
5. How will he think and look at his parent as he grow up?

The questions will continue flowing with much concerns . However, who is responsible for this act of terror against such children. Yes, the act of terror to the future of this kids and the generation for the north and Nigeria ! 

I thinks the following are to be blame for the situation. They include ;
1. Our religious and traditional leaders
2. Community members and families
3. The influentials and elites
4. The teachers and educated (high or less)
5. Filmmakers or the Kannywood for not doing stories of such danger much
6. Our writers especially of the local languages
7. The media who are more interested in negative stories than stories of making change. And no creative programs to hear such cases
8. Government and policy makers
9. Parents and plus 

These aforementioned categories are the causes and the solutions to such unwanted dangerous phenomenon in the society. This is the current state of northern Nigerian children in thousands. 

Finally with my note is to emphasize that , there are thousands of kids males and females roaming the streets with no love or care from anyone. Their life and future is in danger daily. And it is also unavoidable reality that we are also in danger by the payback of our non response to support them timely by all means possible. 

Parents, government, imams. Traditional leaders, filmmakers, media and everyone hand must be on desk to save people like Sayyed and dealt with parents like his heartless parent.