Kaduna Repatriates 3,000 Almajiris, Shuts Down Beggars’ Home

Kaduna State Government has repatriated about 3,000 Almajiri since Monday in line with its directives to close down all formal and informal schools so as to prevent any spread of the coronavirus in the state. Daily Trust observed dozens of Almajiri boarding about seven buses belonging to Kaduna Line around Barnawa for onward repatriation to their respective states.

One of the Islamic teachers at the Almajiri schools in Barnawa told Daily Trust that the boys were being evacuated by the Kaduna State government to their various states adding that the teachers had lectured the boys on the disease and explained to them why they were returning to their parents. State Commissioner for Human and Social ‎Development in Kaduna State, Hajiya Hafsat Baba when contacted told our correspondent that about 3, 000 Almajiri boys were evacuated from the state in the last two days adding that others from states such as Enugu, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Bauchi, Nasarawa and Saminaka in Kaduna state were provided transport fares.

Baba said the exercise was ongoing until the state is certain all Almajiri children have been returned to their various homes while adding that the popular Kaduna Beggers’ home along Kano Road will be shut down by the state government. She said the home was overcrowded and that the state government was concerned about the health of the occupants adding that the leaders of the beggars at the house had agreed to abide by government ‘s measures to return to their various states after a meeting with the ministry. “Their health is of importance to Kaduna state government but we resolved to include them in some of our programmes such as training and empowerment as well as providing additional rehabilitation centres in the state,” she said.

“There is another place close to Kano road Mosque where they usually stay, we have also evacuated them. In fact, they have promised to leave for their states. On Tuesday, about three buses left with many of them including the blind, crippled and other vulnerable people. She thanked Shaikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi who she said personally sent a text messages to all his schools in the state to shutdown.