The Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong said he would not relent until all almajirai in the state are evicted to their home states.
He said this in a statewide broadcast on Thursday, noting that the move became necessary to curb the spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Plateau.
According to him, the profiling and relocation of the street children have begun.
The governor disclosed that 279 almajirai have so far been relocated from the state.
Lalong added that 243 of the affected almajirai were from Bauchi, Kano and Kaduna.
He stated, “The profiling and return of almajirai has commenced and shall continue until the last almajiri is relocated.
“On 26th April 2020, the first batch of 279 almajiris was evacuated. Out of this number, 243 were sent home to their states of Bauchi, Kano and Kaduna, while 36 were sent to their local governments of Wase and Kanam.”
In the same vein, Lalong ordered the closure of intra-state borders effective Monday, May 4.
“In addition to the total lockdown which closed movement in and out of the state, and in order to curb community spread of COVID-19, Government has decided to close all intra-State borders with effect from 4th May 2020.
“Consequently, there shall be no movement from one Local Government to another even during the period when the total lockdown is relaxed, except for those on essential services as earlier enumerated.
“The total lockdown which resumed midnight Sunday, April 26th 2020, shall be relaxed from Midnight of Thursday 30th April 2020 to Midnight of Sunday 3rd May 2020 to enable people again re-stock their homes. Thereafter, the total lockdown will resume on Monday 4th May 2020,” the governor said.
The Plateau governor said his government identified with residents over the hardship occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that all hands must be on deck to defeat the deadly virus.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the country has recorded 2170 confirmed cases of the virus and 68 deaths as of Friday, May 1.
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