Kaduna evacuates 35,000 ‘almajirai’ children, receives more than 1,000

The Kaduna state government has evacuated 35,000 ‘almajirai’ children to 17 states and some neighbouring countries.

Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development in Kaduna state, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, who made this known in an interview in Kaduna, said that the state equally received more than 1,000 ‘almajirai’ from other states.

Baba explained that the measure was part of the state government’s efforts toward ensuring that all children received both Quranic and western education under the care of their parents.

She said that with the support of the UNICEF, the ministry was documenting, counselling and providing basic healthcare to the ‘almajirai’ evacuated from other states.

“This is crucial because apart from COVID-19, some of the ‘almajirai’ had skin diseases and other ailments that need to be treated before reuniting them with their families.

“Although, enrolling the children into school is the responsibility of the ministry of education, the ministry of human services is currently assessing the state of Islamic schools across the state.

“We want to determine their proximity and suitability for enrolling some of the ‘almajirai’ living close to such schools where they will acquire both Quranic and western education,” she said.

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The commissioner said that the state government would continue to take delivery of every ‘almajirai’ indigenous to the state and would continue to engage Islamic teachers as part of community engagement.

She added the ministry would equally continue engaging traditional leaders and relevant stakeholders in communities for them to understand that the children need to be taken care of by their parents.

Gov. Nasir El-Rufa’i had recently warned that parents who enrol their children into the Islamic education system stand the risk of prosecution and up to two years jail term if found guilty.

El-Rufai said that all the ‘almajirai’ pupils repatriated from other states of the country would be given all the opportunity they deserve to grow and develop.

“We will continue to take delivery of every ‘almajirai’ pupil indigenous to Kaduna state for rehabilitation, treatment and enrolment into formal schools nearest to where their parents live,” the governor had said.