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Olabode Adaramola
The Niger state government has repatriated 21 Almagiris back to Kastina State,who were intercepted on their way to Mokwa town, following the ban on streets begging in the state.
Barrister Mariam Haruna Kolo, Director General of the state Child Rights Protection Agency, Barr. Mariam Kolo made the disclosure during the repatriation of the Almagiris back to Kastina state.
She said the Almagiris were intercepted in Minna while being conveyed in a bus by one Malam Habibi Abdulrazaka who lived in Suleja.
“Three days ago, we were called upon that a bus was being intercepted with 21 almajiris and were brought to our office, during our interaction with them, we found out that most of them were below the ages of 17.
“And being that they were below such age and are all almajiris who have come here to learn and have not fulfilled the basic requirements to liaise with Islamic association in the state, we have to return them back to their state of origin,” she said.
Barr. Kolo noted that Niger state would not be used as a dumping ground where children were brought from other states and dumped in the state which informed the immediate return of the children back to their home state.
She added that the state would not condone any act of street begging which had longed been abolished, stressing that, “only children who had done basic requirement are welcome to learn quaraic education in the state’.
She explained that any Islamic teacher bringing children to learn must ensure the rights of the children were protected such as feeding and provision of decent accomodation, saying that “government will no longer take the burden of people coming into the state”.
According to her, government have Almajiris it had been taking care of and reforming them therefore, cannot allow other people come to infiltrate and spoil what has been done due to many issues on ground.
Abdulrazaka Habib, the teacher caught conveying the children, said the children were brought by their parents from Kastina state to him in Suleja to acquire quranic knowledge, he however added that he was not aware of the rules and regulations on ground.
He said the children were brought to him in Suleja by their parents from Kankara in Kastina state to learn quaraic education.
The National Organising Secretary of the state chapter of Center for Qur’anic Research of Nigeria, Sadiq Yamai said the association had been collaborating with the state government to profile children brought into the state to learn quaraic education.
