Kaduna Government rescues 160 Almajirai
By Asma’u Halilu, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government Task Force enforcing Covid-19 related regulations has rescued 160 children from locations that are not authorised or licensed as schools.
Some of the rescued children are toddlers who are unable to properly identify themselves.
A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, said the rescued children are from 13 states in the North and South of Nigeria, while others are from Benin Republic, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic.
The statement read that, the locations in which the children were found were operating in violation of regulations that had ordered the closure of all schools since December 2020.
“By keeping children in unauthorised places, the locations were also in contravention of Kaduna State land use regulations and inconsistent with the policy of repatriating almajiris to their States and Local governments of origin to continue their education under the care of their parents, and in properly registered and regulated schools,” the statement read.
It mentioned that, government wishes to remind all non-governmental organisations, corporate entities, religious leaders and faith institutions of its laws prescribing the free and compulsory education of all children in properly registered schools.
According to the statement, government will not compromise the rights of children described as Almajiris, saying, they are to be treated with the dignity accorded all other children.
“Since March 2020, 31,092 Almajiri children have been repatriated to their States of origin since the Northern Governors Forum decided to jointly end the abuses associated with the Almajiri system. Since then, Kaduna goverment has undertaken a continuous exercise to identify locations where these children are being kept and have also taken steps to rescue them from such places and reunite them with their patents to continue their education”.
In the latest round of the exercise conducted this week, operatives of the state task-force rescued 160 children whom they have sorted according to their States of origin as follows”,:
- Kebbi: 16
- FCT Abuja: 2
- Katsina: 15
- Kano: 15
- Zamfara: 8
- Sokoto: 1
- Nasarawa: 12
- Niger: 5
- Kwara: 4
- Kogi: 2
- Oyo: 2
- Kaduna: 68
- Niger Republic: 5
- Burkina Faso: 3
- Benin Republic: 1
It stated that, the children are being profiled, documented and subjected to health checks, including test for Covid-19 infections, after which they would be transported to their states of origin and handed over to the relevant officials.
The State reads: “The children confirmed to be bonafide citizens of Kaduna State will be relocated to their Local governments of origin and handed over to the Council officials for documentation, registration and future enrollment into schools under the care of their their parents or guardians”.
It says the children from ECOWAS Countries will be handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service for necessary attention.
The Kaduna State Government reiterated its appeal to citizens to take responsibility for the proper upbringing, welfare and care of their children.
Confidence Okwuchi
