Some Nigerian students sponsored by the Jigawa State Government for medical studies in Cyprus have reportedly been deported over alleged involvement in drug-related offences and incomplete documentation, a former state government aide claimed on Tuesday.
Zakari Sidi Kafin Hausa, a former Senior Special Assistant on Health Monitoring to the Jigawa State Government, alleged in a social media post that the recent sponsorship was conducted in secrecy, with children of top government officials emerging as the main beneficiaries.
“Many people are not aware that the Jigawa State Government sponsored another batch of students to Cyprus for medical studies last week. Surprised? Yes, the state indeed sent more students abroad,” Sidi wrote in Hausa.
According to Sidi, the lack of transparency has raised concerns about fairness, particularly after the governor had earlier assured that children from low-income backgrounds would be prioritized.
“The reason this news did not circulate on social media or among government publicists is because it was deliberately kept secret,” he said. “Unlike previous administrations, such as those of Sule Lamido and Badaru, when scholarship programmes were openly celebrated, this time the process was shrouded in secrecy.”
Sidi alleged that most of the selected students were children of government officials and their associates. He said some of the students had already been deported by Cypriot authorities due to incomplete documentation and, in some cases, involvement in drug abuse.
He added that he would not disclose the names of the affected students, stressing that they were not at fault. “However, in due course, we will make public the names of their parents,” he said.
Attempts to reach the Jigawa State Government for comment were unsuccessful as of press time.
