Coronavirus: Jigawa to quarantine 524 almajiris deported from Kano

Jigawa State Government, on Thursday, said it would quarantine 524 almajiris that were deported from Kano to the state, to prevent any spread of coronavirus.

The state’s governor, Muhammad Badaru, who received the almajiris at the NYSC orientation camp in Dutse, said they would undergo medical screening at the camp before being quarantined at their respective homes.

“We’re hopeful that their parents would be able to isolate them for two weeks under the supervision of the state government after providing them with basic needs that would last for the quarantine period,” Mr Badaru said.

The governor said in a situation where that would not be possible, the government would provide a safer place for the period of two weeks until they are satisfied that the children do not pose a threat to the community.

‘We are witnessing how Lagos returnees are being rejected by their relatives in Jigawa until they are diagnosed (as) coronavirus negative before they are accepted to mingle with their community members,’ the governor said.

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Mr Badaru also said Jigawa State is also considering deporting kano’s Almajiris, possibly after the pandemic, because doing that now would violate the social distance rule, thus putting them at risk of contracting the disease.

The governor added that, more importantly, the northern governors have agreed to ban the traditional practice of Almajiri system of education with more sophisticated, modern ones.

Earlier, the Kano State commissioner of Education, Sunusi Kiru, who led the team that transported the almajiris to Jigawa said the children went through medical screening before they were boarded to Jigawa.