- Ondo state has sent back twenty-five (25) almajiris driven into the state on Monday, May 4, by a truck driver
- The intercepted almajiris who were coming from Sokoto had come into Ondo through Kogi which shares boundaries with the state
- Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had earlier first raised an alarm over almajiris pouring in from northern states
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A report by Premium Times indicates that about twenty-five (25) almajiris driven into Ondo by a truck driver were on Monday, May 4, turned back.
It was reported that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu first raised the alarm of almajiris pouring in from northern states while giving an update on the government's efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
He lamented over the entry points into Ondo state which is manned by security agencies in line with the restriction of movement order.
The governor had noted that some northern states are already deploying almajiris to other parts of the country and called on residents to report any unusual large population of young people imported to the state.
Ondo state has sent 25 almajiris back to Sokoto state.
Source: Depositphotos
However, a source at the Ondo State government house hinted that the government got the information on the movement of the almajiris and notified the security agencies to swiftly ensure they were not allowed.
The source said: “We cannot allow them in, they have to return to where they are coming from. The government already had the information and that led the governor to make the statement on the matter.”
Nonetheless, Tee Leo-Ikoro, the police public relations officer Ondo state command, confirmed that a group of young men were intercepted and taken out of the state.
The police spokesman explained that the young men who were coming from Sokoto state had come in through Kogi state which shares boundaries with Ondo.
He said: “This afternoon, we took them back to the boundary between Ondo and Kogi, because they said they came through a village in Kogi State. We have to take them back to the boundary and asked them to return to Sokoto.”
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported over 100 almajiris intercepted by officials of the Abia state homeland security on Tuesday, May 5, on the Abia-Enugu border, have been sent back to their respective states.
Abia state commissioner for information, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, disclosed this during a recent interview. According to him, the almajiris were turned back as a result of the border closure in the state.
The security team led by the commissioner for homeland security, Prince Dan Okoli, intercepted the almajiris at the border between Abia and Enugu state on the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway. They were said to have been hidden in a food truck.
Similarly, the federal government has raised an eyebrow against the continuous repatriation of kid beggars popularly known as almajiris, saying it is a violation of guidelines issued by President Muhammadu Buhari on inter-state movement ban amidst coronavirus crisis.
Speaking during the presidential task force briefing on Covid-19 on Monday, May 4, Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said the government will engage the states on the process for the repatriation of almajiris.
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