46 Abandoned Bomai Foundation Scholarship Beneficiaries Cry Out Over Silence, Financial Hardship

 

Forty-six shortlisted beneficiaries of the Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai Foundation Foreign Scholarship Programme have raised alarm over what they described as abandonment, silence and broken promises by the foundation, following their disqualification from the programme without explanation.

In a press statement issued on Monday, the affected candidates said they were publicly shortlisted in 2025 and celebrated as beneficiaries of the foreign scholarship, but were later left in uncertainty after the departure of the first batch of scholars.

The group said despite submitting all required documents, attending screenings and following laid-down procedures, they were never informed of any age restriction or disqualifying criteria during the selection process.

According to the statement, repeated appeals dated September 13 and October 2, 2025, addressed to the Chairman of the Foundation, yielded no response, acknowledgment or official clarification.

The beneficiaries recalled that Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai had publicly assured them during the departure of the first batch that, “The remaining beneficiaries will soon join the first batch.” They said this reassurance reinforced their belief that their selection remained valid.

They further alleged that the Secretary of the Foundation also assured many of them that they belonged to the second batch and that the process would resume upon his return to the country. However, six weeks after his return, they claimed there had been no communication and calls were no longer answered.

Relying on these assurances, the beneficiaries said many of them incurred heavy financial losses, including taking bank loans with interest, borrowing from family and friends, and soliciting community contributions in anticipation of the scholarship.

They listed expenses incurred to include international passport processing, medical examinations, police clearance, academic transcripts, transport and travel preparations for multiple screenings.

“The final reality we were forced to face is no foreign scholarship, no domestic scholarship as promised, no reimbursement or compensation, no official explanation and no apology,” the statement read.

The group said the situation has left many of them battling crushing debt, emotional trauma, depression, family pressure, loss of jobs and social embarrassment.

They appealed to the Governor of Yobe State, members of the National Assembly, the Yobe State House of Assembly, human rights organisations, civil society groups, traditional leaders and concerned Nigerians to intervene.

Among their demands are immediate consideration and support for all 46 candidates, fulfilment of the promised domestic scholarship, or adequate compensation to cover their documented financial losses.

“We trusted the Foundation. We believed the public promises. We acted with sincerity, hope, and obedience. Today, we are left with silence, debt and broken dreams,” the statement concluded.

The statement was jointly signed by the 46 shortlisted beneficiaries of the Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai Foundation Foreign Scholarship Programme.