By Gbadamosi oladimeji
The Kaduna State Government says it has so far deported over 30,000 Almajiri children to theirr state of origin, ahead of inter-state border closure agreed upon by Nigeria Government Forum(NGF) on Wednesday.
Commissioner for Human Resources and Social Development, Hafsat Baba, told KAFTANPost that the action is to ensure that the vulnerable Almajiri children do not pose a threat to the battle against COVID-19 in the state.
It was reported on the 13th of October, 2019, that the Kaduna State Government vowed to outlaw Almajiri in the state by 2020, and will amend relevant statues to ensure that no child roams the street during school hours without consequences for the parents or guardians; while also introducing free, compulsory education up to secondary school level.
Baba added that the outbreak of coronavirus disease in Kaduna State and other parts of the country made the decision necessary.
On Wednesday, during the NGF meeting in Abuja, the state governmentts agreed that there should be closure of inter-state borders so as to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Kaduna is the gateway and transportation hub that connects the northern part of the country to the south. On a daily basis, thousands of children roam the streets of the state capital begging for alms.
Many of the children who spoke with KAFTANPost in separate interviews revealed that they are not aware of the existence or inherent danger of the virus as they move from motor parks to markets and other public places in search of food.
The quest for survival, especially during this lockdown period, makes the children leave their Qur’anic school; roaming the streets, a situation that poses great health risk amid this pandemic.
The Kaduna State Government, however, says it is ready to contain the coronavirus pandemic by adopting various measures.
This is evidenced by the lockdown of the entire state, including closing all entry points and borders until further notice.
The Almajiri pupils were brought to learn the Qur’an, however, some dropped out along the way and have become a problem to the society.
Most pupils dropped out due to the hardship that is endured during the training, others; due to the growing complex nature of the society.
