Date: 2018-07-02

Ilorin based Islamic Orphanage Foundation, has expressed worries over the spate of killings going on in most parts of the country which has increased the number of orphans.

The Foundation chairman, Arch Safullahi Allege said this on Sunday in Ilorin during the annual Orphanage Day of the foundation.

He lamented the increasing spate of terror attacks in some parts of the country, saying that the trend is adding to the growing number of orphans in various Internally Displaced Persons Camps (lDP) across the country.

Allege also expressed worries about the safety of those in IDPS camps amidst persistent insecurity and killings in some parts of the country.

The foundation which was established 13 years ago currently has 276 orphans under its care.

Allege, therefore urged the federal government to, as a matter of urgency nip the killings in the board in the interest of Nigerian children who are the worst affected by losing their parents.

"We appeal to the federal and state governments, traditional and spiritual institution leaders to address the issue of insecurity in the country.

"As we all know that the result of this will produce a lot of orphans all over, our IDP centers are also not safe with incessant attacks on the innocent people.

"We want to see the whole scenario as politically motivated and the root of the whole killings must be identified and the culprits brought to book," he added.

Allege while rendering the report of the foundation for 2018, said the foundation was always overwhelmed at the beginning of every academic session when raising funds for the payment of school fees of orphans who were in higher institutions.

According to him, the foundation will require N2 .5m to pay the school fees of the children in both secondary school and higher institution.

The chairman therefore appealed to the government and, corporate organisations and individuals to come to the aid of the foundation to be able to take good care of the orphans in its care.

"As at today I wish to let you know that our children are 276 in number out of which 84 of them are in tertiary institutions all over the country.

"Nine of our children are receiving training on in different professions out of which four will be empowered today (Sunday)," he said.

He urged government at all levels to "create a window" through which they would engage orphans who graduates from school under the foundation's care to reduce rates of unemployment.

Allege however expressed displeasure that some parents have not been taking good care of children in their custody, saying that the foundation would take custody of most of the children when it center is completed.