83 additional Almajirai (Qu’anic education pupils) have arrived Kebbi State from Kano, the state government said on Tuesday.
Governor Atiku Bagudu announced this in a statement released by his media adviser, Yahaya Sarki.
The statement said the children were received by the chairman of the state’s task force on COVID-19, who doubles as commissioner for health, Jafar Mohammed, and members of the task force.
“The children hail from seven local government areas of Birnin Kebbi, Kalgo, Dandi, Argungu, Maiyama, Jega and Yauri, while one of them was a citizen of neighbouring Niger Republic,” the commissioner said in the statement.
“All the children were handed over to the chairmen of their respective local governments, while the child from Niger Republic would be taken back to his country through the protocols laid down by the Federal Government.
“We laud the Kano State Government for earlier testing and isolating the children at the Isolation Centre in Kano.
“I am happy all the children had been declared coronavirus disease-free, as they had tested negative to it.
“They were, therefore, ready to be reunited with their families as well as the general society.”
Mohammed said the state’s priority now would be the continuation of the children’s Qur’anic and Western education, but with their biological parents.
“We pledge the state government’s commitment to fully protect all the fundamental human rights of the children,” he said.
Bagudu had earlier personally received 61 Almajirai repatriated to the state by Kano State Government on May 22.