Umm Muhammed Umar

Forty-seven people have been rescued from what Nigerian police have described as a ‘torture house’ in Kano state, Nigeria.

The BBC reports that the house in Kano city was supposedly a rehabilitation centre where parents sent their children whom they believed were drug addicts or had participated in crimes. Parents, meanwhile, say they send their children to such centres due to the lack of adequate government-approved facilities.

A police raid on Thursday, found 47 male inmates shackled. They were aged between 14 and 35 years old, and showed signs of having been assaulted. They are now receiving treatment in hospital.

The Kano state government had banned these so-called rehabilitation centres almost a year ago after several raids revealed the abuse suffered by inmates. However, according to the BBC, there were many still running clandestinely.

The owner and manager of the so-called rehabilitation centre have been arrested.