Unlike other physically challenged persons who result to street begging, Ibrahim moves around major streets in Abuja with a message of peace and religious tolerance.
Sani Ibrahim is a physically challenged person in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. He was affected with polio at a tender age.
Unlike others in his condition who result to street begging, Ibrahim moves around major streets in Abuja with a message of peace and religious tolerance.
The Kano state born indigene who refers to himself as Nigeria's "Ambassador of Peace" takes his message to different parts of the city with the help of his 10-year-old tricycle.
"I got this tricycle about 10 years ago from some Lebanese who came to my village in Kano", Ibrahim told Pulse senior associate, Goodness Adaoyiche.
"It has been my leg since then. I even travelled from Kano to Kaduna and then Abuja with the tricycle", Ibrahim said in smattering English.
Ibrahim's determination to remain exceptional and his love for Nigeria influenced his dress sense. His shirts, trousers and shoes are in Nigeria's national colours of green and white.
He said one of the many questions he has to answer everyday is on the reason behind his choice of colours. Ibrahim sees this as an avenue to deliver his message of peace to all who care to listen.
A sports enthusiast, Ibrahim was a power lifter at the FCT Unity Para-soccer Club at Old Parade Ground, Area 10, Abuja. He alleged that leaders of the club embezzled funds meant for the athletes. According ho him, members who could not feed themselves resulted to street begging. This informed his decision to live the club.
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"I was a power lifter but left because of the massive corruption there. Our leaders embezzled the funds meant for all of us.
"Some months ago, a philanthropist donated N500,000 to about 28 members of the club. The coach gave only three people N500 and used the rest to buy a personal car.
"Even when former President Goodluck Jonathan gave us some money, the leaders just shared it among themselves and left others to beg at night clubs so as to avoid being arrested by task force officials during the day", Ibrahim said.
He lamented government's inability to monitor the disbursement of funds donated to physically challenged persons in Nigeria adding that it had encouraged corruption among their leaders.
When our correspondent visited the facility, leader of the club who identified himself as Coach Bello dismissed the allegations. He said that Ibrahim was a drug addict who suffers from 'slight madness.'
Bello said Ibrahim and two others flouted the rules of the club and were sanctioned. According to him, the two others apologised and were pardoned but Ibrahim refused and left the camp.
"That Sani Ibrahim is not normal, he takes drugs", Bello said.
"Ibrahim is very stubborn, rude and disrespectful. Just because we asked him to apologise for a wrong doing, he left this place. Before he joined us, he had visited the other camps in Karmajiji and Area 1, but left because of the reasons I earlier mentioned.
"The money he spoke about was donated to members of the three camps for disabled persons in Abuja. He is not even a member because he does not participate in any sport. we only allowed him to stay here with us.
"He has been picked up and beaten by security operatives severally for flouting rules. Please disregard whatever Ibrahim told you", he added.
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With his belongings all packed up in his tricycle, Ibrahim who does not have a stable source of income and shelter now lives under a bridge in Abuja.
Ibrahim depends solely on individuals and organisations who pay to advertise their products, events and services on a board he constructed behind the tricycle.
See more photos of Sani Ibrahim below.
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