The Chairman, Task Force on COVID-19 guidelines in Kaduna State, Major Garba Yahya Rimi (rtd), has assured that they will get rid of all Almajiris and beggars from the streets in the 23 Local Government Areas of the State.
The chairman explained that the number of those apprehended so far would keep on rising because the operation will still be ongoing in the next three months across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State.
He said, “So, it’s not only the arrest of 140 Sheikh Tahir Bauchi islamiah schools students in Kaduna town, this was parts of the guidelines given to us after our Inauguration in the state recently.”
He noted that all the 19th northern States and Abuja have agreed that any beggar found on the street should be arrested and taken to their state of origin and repatriated to his own local government and ward as the case maybe.
The chairman added, “Any destitute like beggars, there’s a law banning them from going to the street and if intercepted will be treated based on the same directive of the governors.”
According to him, sometime ago, the 19th Northern State Governors and Abuja Minister’s representative had a meeting at the state house in Kaduna and resolved that Almajiris be taken back to their various states of origin after deliberation, to go to formal or Almajiri schools in their area.
He added that they can go back to their parents’ houses when closed from the school in accordance with the law.
He noted that there is a Kaduna law of 2016 banning street begging or hawking in the state.
In Kaduna State, Major Garba Yahya Rimi (rtd), explained, “So, most of what we’re doing is based on those laws. But people said we are targeting sheikh Bauchi, that is not the truth.
“Because the first time we arrested about 22 Almajiris traveling from some states to another part of the country; at the same time, we moved to the other side and arrested about 140 which we conveyed to Hajj camp which is legally allowed by the state government.
“They are lslamiah students, and are now more than 160 to162 at Hajj camp, all together, because the number is increasing and there are two of them who could not tell us exactly where they came from.”
He also said the number of students of Shiekh Tahir Bauchi lslamiah school students and street beggars arrested has increased from 140 to 162.
