Haruna Mubarak (no be im real name) na one of di 162 workers (according to police) wey dem rescue from Popular Farms rice company wia dem dey locked up for three months.
Haruna wey no wan show im face say, im wife and pikin just dey cry after dem see am for di first time in three months.
“My wife and pikin just dey cry as dem see because e don tay wey we see, e get time wey she carry my pikin come see me but dem no allow her enter or let me know. Even my neighbours just dey come greet me e just be like say na sallah time we dey.”
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Wetin make Haruna story dey special be say na because of am, Police do di rescue operation because na im ask in friend to send am Human Rights pipo number after di rice company release dia phones wey dem seize.
“Di company bin seize our phones because our family dey always try reach out to know wetin dey happun so na after dem release di phones na im I call one of my friends wey send di number of Director of Global Human Rights Network wey i call to tell am di situation wey we dey.”
“Many of my colleagues after Police rescue us dey call me hero because na my phone call wia I dey cry to Human Rights Network na im bring di rescue for us.”
Haruna say e dey beg goment and oda big pipo for Kano to helep im and im colleagues with beta jobs since na to dey find work be dia next step now.
How e happun
28 year old Hamza Ibrahim na graduate of Bayero University Kano and one of di pipo dem rescue say e start work with Popular Farms wey get Indian owners for November 2019 and dey manage im N28,000 monthly salary, say dia trouble start when nationwide lockdown start because of coronavirus.
“I dey among workers wey police rescue from Popular Farms on Monday and wetin happun be say as nationwide lockdown start, instead of di rice company to obey goment orders and close dia factory, dem call tell us say pipo wey wan stay work during lockdown make dem stay, say dem go increase N5000 for dia salary na dat one make some first stay.”
“After some time, pipo wey no gree stay sef come dey receive call with threat of losing dia job because dem need pipo to dey run shifts with pipo wey stay. So many like me out of fear run come back.”
“Na so dem lock us up allowing us to rest for only small time, no prayers allowed, no family visits, dis na how many of us spend our last three months, e get my colleague wey work 24 hours straight without rest.”
‘Cry for help’
Karibu Yahaya Kabara wey be di Director for Global Human Rights Network na im first receive call about wetin dey happun for di company.
“Around 5pm on Sunday I get call from somebodi wey dey cry wella, dey beg me say make we come save dem, e tok say one company lock dem up for months without allowing dem comot to see family pray or seek medical help.”
“I quickly ask am for di address and after di call i alert Police and I follow dem go as we enter di company yesterday to comot those workers.”
“Wetin I use my eyes see dey very sad. Wia dem keep dis workers even animals no suppose dey sleep dia. No enough food, payment or even medicine when pesin sick.” Kabara tok.
Kano police command tok-tok pesin DSP Abdullahi Haruna say, di case still dey under investigation but na case of ‘wrongful confinement’ that is holding pipo against dia will.
“We don go comot di workers from di place and we dey continue to investigate wetin happun and we go update the public soon.”
Anoda source for police wey say make BBC no tok im name explain how dem dey see dis case.
“Dis pipo na dem go find work themselves and dem no complain from di start, na as lockdown start and dis company no wan make dia work stop come force dis pipo to work against dia will, using dia poverty to promise dem small money as overtime payment wey many say dem no still give dem, so no doubt say dem commit crime, and di managers admit so after we gbab dem.”
Dis statement na something wey Hamza agree with, e also tell BBC say na by themselves dem apply to work dia and na during coronavirus lockdown dem begin to lock dem so dat work go always dey go on.
BBC try contact oga Kareem Saka and Mallam Hassan wey dey manage di farms to hear from dem but dia numbers no go through and dem no reply text message.
Meanwhile authorities don shut down di farm and five pipo dey custody ontop di mata as investigation dey go on.
