Yero To Eject Almajiris From Kaduna Over Violence Threat

Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State has disclosed his administration’s plan to send street beggars packing from the state because some politicians have perfected plans to use them to cause violence before, during and after the rescheduled elections.

The governor, who expressed concerns with the influx of beggars from neighbouring states into the state, said a majority of them (beggars) would leave the state to pre-empt a re-occurence of the 2011 post-election violence in the state.

Yero spoke through his Director-General, Media and Publicity, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki.

Mayaki represented his boss as a guest of the Correspondents Chapel of the Kaduna Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Sunday, where he spoke on the state of affairs of Kaduna.

According to Yero, some selfish politicians are planning to use the street beggars also known as Almajiris, to unleash mayhem on the state.

Mayaki said it was based on this knowledge that the state government has put measures in place that would ensure that no Almajiri was allowed into the state from neighbouring states.

He said a majority of the beggars presently in the state would be sent to their states of origin.

The governor’s aide said, “Almajiris are agents of destruction in the hands of desperate politicians and I agree that these people are ready tools for selfish politicians and individuals to use during, either politicking or otherwise to achieve their selfish interest.

“And as you may be aware, Kaduna is bordered by about seven states and government has taken steps to address the issue of Almajiris in Kaduna State.

“While they are making it look religious, there is nothing religious or Islamic about the Almajiri. Infact, it is un-Islamic.

“It is a societal challenge because Kaduna is bordered by about seven states and while government is addressing the issue in Kaduna, you have people coming from other states to come and overstretch the policy and intervention of government.

“So you have a lot of people trooping in to Kaduna. So to address it, it must be by joint effort, when you address it in Kaduna, you will address it Katsina and other surrounding states.

“The state government must work with these various states to address this challenge. Some of these peoples are not even Nigerians. And as we speak, a lot of them are being deported back to their countries”.