Eighty-eight students from Zamfara State studying in Cyprus are currently stranded abroad due to unpaid tuition fees, accommodation, feeding, and residence permits, their parents have revealed. The accumulated debt is said to exceed N1 billion, making it impossible for the students to continue their education.
Ibrahim Tudu, Chairman of the Cyprus Students’ Parents Association, made the appeal in Gusau on Saturday, urging Governor Dauda Lawal to urgently intervene and settle the outstanding debts. He described the situation as critical and dismissed false information circulating about the students’ conditions.
In response, Malam Mustafa Jafaru-Kaura, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Lawal, stated that the state government has already paid N290 million towards the students’ expenses. He also mentioned that flight tickets had been provided for the students to return to Nigeria, but they have so far declined to come back.
The stranded students’ predicament has raised concerns among parents and education stakeholders, who hope for swift action to resolve the matter and enable the students to resume their studies or return home safely.