The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, on Friday criticized the
current expulsion of almajiris from various Northern States to their States of
origin due to the spread of COVID-19.
It said the expulsion of almajiris by State governments was
wrongly-timed.
MURIC urged Northern governors to postpone the expulsion of
almajiris until the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
The group made the call in a statement signed and sent by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
MURIC stated that the world would have been a better place
if the teachings of Prophet Muhammad were adhered to by the people.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, several States have been
repatriating almajiris from their States.
However, MURIC in a statement said: “Many states of the
North have been expelling large numbers of almajiris back to their states of
origin in recent times. For example, on April 21st, 2020, Kano expelled 432
almajiris to Katsina, 63 to Yobe, 198 to Kaduna, etc. Expectedly, the Northern
states are beginning to take responsibility and there is every reason to
believe that plans are already on ground to take good care of those almajiris
on arrival in their home states. The motive behind it is commendable.
“However, the expulsions have coincided with the COVID-19
outbreak and this is our first concern. The children are being exposed to great
danger. To make matters worse, significant numbers of these almajiris are
testing positive to coronavirus thereby swelling the COVID-19 caseloads of
their receiving states and making the management of this global pandemic more
difficult for Nigerian authorities. Unfortunately, some of these almajiris are
also escaping to southern states, potentially spreading COVID-19 to every nook
and cranny of Nigeria.
“It is clear that the concerned Northern States appeared to
have acted without consulting Islamic scholars who are at their beck and call.
Islam opposes the idea of leaving a city under plague attack. The Holy Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned that, ‘If a plague breaks out in a city and
you are living there, do not leave it. And if you are about to enter a city and
there is a plague there, do not enter there’
“The reported expulsions and arrangement of caravan-like
trips for the expulsion of almajiris from some Northern states is therefore
ill-advised and badly timed. The exercise is already being abused as some of
the almajiris are allegedly escaping southwards. Worse still is the fact that
some of them have already tested positive for COVID-19.
“Nigeria would have fared better if we had strictly followed
the Islamic teaching on remaining in one place during a plague. Even the world
would have been safer today but the phobia for anything Islamic did not allow
world powers to take advantage of the wisdom in Islamdom for managing
pandemics.
“We appeal to the security agencies to strictly enforce the
ban on interstate travels, including stemming the tide of interstate almajiri
‘exports’. Many of the index cases in some states have been traced to people
who came in from outside such states. The police have a case to answer,
particularly concerning trailers caught with human and animal cargoes in the
south during the week. How did they ply the roads that lead to the south with
several roadblocks along the line?
“As we round off, we enjoin Northern governors to postpone
the expulsion of almajiris until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Instead, the
Federal Government, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the NCDC should
collaborate with the concerned Northern states to gather all those almajiris in
a few central locations, test them for the Coronavirus, isolate the infected
and treat them promptly. That way, this scourge will be nipped in the bud among
them and we would have prevented the spread of COVID-19 via infected almajiris
to the whole of the country.
“Those in charge of the repatriation of almajiris must also
ensure that the latter do not successfully escape down south where nobody
understands their culture. We charge Nigerians to exercise patience by
refraining from travels around this period and, better still, by staying at
home, maintaining social distancing, using facemasks and washing their hands
regularly or using sanitisers.”
This is coming at a time when the Kaduna State governor,
Nasir El-Rufai had declared that almajiri system was dead in his State.
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