Police in Kaduna say they have handed over to the state government the 300 persons rescued from a ‘rehabilitation centre’ at Rigasa in Kaduna.
The inmates, including children, some of whom were in chains, were rescued from the ‘torture house’ on Thursday after a police raid.
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Parents of some of the children had disputed police claims that the inmates were being abused and held against their wish.
Kaduna police spokesman, Yakubu Sabo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that the rescued persons were handed over to the Kaduna government on Friday for reunion with their families.
He, however, said that seven suspects earlier arrested were undergoing investigations.
Mr Sabo defended the raid on the centre, saying it was based on reports of torture and abuse, not whether the inmates were willingly taken there by their parents.
“Whether or not they were the ones who handed their children over, there is limitation to what can be done to human beings, even by parents,” he said.
“According to law, even if it is the father that subjected his child to inhuman treatment, there is a level where he will be held liable for his action.
“Nobody is questioning whether the parents took their children there, what we are saying is that inhuman treatment is meted out to those children in violation of the law.
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“The school in question have no license to operate as well. The agencies of government that are supposed to supervise them are not put into consideration. As far as we know, they have not tendered any document to show that they are licensed.
“The school is concurrently running both educational and correctional programmes which are supposed to be different institutions with different licenses.”
