By: Kamal Hammajo | October 11, 2025
In the quiet village of Lakkau, in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, the story of a young man unfolds, a story as painful as it is inspiring. His name is Zubairu Yusha’u, a boy whose life changed forever six years ago in the most cruel and unimaginable way.
At just 14 years old, while studying in an Almajiri school, Zubairu was wrongly accused of stealing a mobile phone. What followed was not discipline, but torture. His seniors tied his hands, beat him through the night, and left him without care. By morning, instead of being rescued, his teacher decided to “teach him a lesson” he would never forget. Days passed without proper treatment, and infection set in. In the end, Zubairu lost both his hands.
“They lied to my father,” he recalls with quiet strength. “They told him blocks had fallen on me. That was how I lost my hands.”
For most people, such a tragedy would mark the end of dreams. But for Zubairu, it became the beginning of a new chapter.
RISING FROM THE ASHES OF PAIN
Today, Zubairu is 20 years old and in JSS 3, studying alongside his peers. What amazes people is not only his resilience but his creativity. Without hands, he has learned to write, to barber, and even to ride a bicycle.
His dreams, however, are bigger than survival. Before the tragedy, he wanted to join the army and defend his country. That dream is no longer possible. But in its place, new ambitions have taken root: to become an engineer or a journalist, someone who can build, innovate, and tell stories that matter.
A LIFE OF LOSS, YET FILLED WITH HOPE
Life has not been kind to Zubairu. He lost his mother before the incident, and three years later, his father passed away. Orphaned and disabled, he now lives in Lakkau under the care of his uncles, who struggle but remain determined to support his education.
“We enrolled him in school because he is so dedicated,” says his uncle, Usman Muhammad Lakkau. “The best thing for a child with disability is to support him in what he loves most. And he loves schooling. We don’t know where knowledge will take him, but we know it will take him somewhere better.”
Despite their efforts, resources are scarce. His artificial hands, provided during a sponsored treatment in India under former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, are now broken and too small for his growing body. For more than two years, Zubairu has had no functional prosthetic.
"The only help we ever received was when Dankwambo was governor,” Usman explains. “Since then, no support has come. We are doing what we can with the little we have.”
DREAMS BEYOND DISABILITY
Zubairu is not asking for pity. He is asking for opportunity. His wish is simple yet profound: to learn digital and computer skills.
“If I can get sponsorship to learn computer skills, even without hands, I can operate a computer the way I use a phone,” he says with conviction. “I want to achieve this dream so that one day I can help others the way I was helped.”
He has already attempted to use social media to share his journey, but without access to proper gadgets and support, his efforts remain limited.
A LESSON FOR ALL OF US
Zubairu’s story is more than a personal tragedy. It is a mirror that reflects the failures of a system that should protect children but sometimes destroys them. Yet it is also a testimony to the power of the human spirit, a reminder that resilience can bloom in the harshest soil.
In Zubairu, we see a truth often overlooked: disability is not inability. With support, he could one day stand as a computer engineer, a journalist, or a storyteller whose words inspire countless others.
A CALL TO ACTION
For now, his future hangs in the balance. He continues to push forward with nothing but determination and faith. But determination alone is not enough. He needs hands willing to lift him, opportunities that will empower him, and a society that refuses to let talent be wasted.
From pain to perseverance, Zubairu Yusha’u’s journey from Lakkau is a call to all of us: to believe in the strength of the human spirit, and to never underestimate the dreams of those society too often overlooks.
Because sometimes, the strongest hands are not the ones we can see, but the willpower that refuses to let go of hope.
Note:
If you are touched by Zubairu’s story and would like to support his education, digital training, or provision of new prosthetic hands, kindly reach out through Kamal Hammajo (Contact: +2347069274878, WhatsApp available). Together, we can help turn Zubairu’s dream into reality.
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