Islamic teacher arrested for keeping 500 almajiris

By JULIET OYOYO

An Islamic teacher who has been alleged to be keeping about 500 almajiris in a mud house has been arrested in Kaduna.

In its determination to see that all almajiris in the state are sent back to their various states to reunite with their parents and also to curb the spread of coronavirus disease in the state, an Islamic teacher who allegedly keeps over 500 boys and girls as almajiri has been arrested in Kaduna.

The lslamic teacher is said to be currently being interrogated by the police.

The Commissioner for Human Development and Social Services, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, disclosed this to newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Hafsat Baba revealed that the state government had evacuated 327 out of over 500 in the mud house ‎where the girls were accommodated.

She said out of the almajiri evacuated, 17 were girls between the ages of eight and ten and were mixed with other older boys in the same house.

She described the situation as unIslamic and blamed the parent of the girls for keeping their daughters with the man.

The Commissioner disclosed that the teacher is Aliyu Maikwari ‎from Dakingari town in Kebbi State but resides in Zaria.

According to her, “When I was told, I couldn’t believe it until I saw the pictures. Young girls not more than 8-10 year old and were mixed up with these boys and he lives in Zaria.

“We were able to evacuate 327 out of the 500 children in the house‎ because he was so stubborn we had to use Operation Yaki to arrest him.

“We also understand that he gives out these girls for marriage so he is in Kaduna now under investigation.

Ministry of Justice will also continue from there,” she said.

Hafsat wondered how the malam will keep girls as almajiri.

“This is disturbing, unIslamic and what is he teaching them?

“Accommodating girls and boys and he doesn’t even have a dormitory to separate them,” she lamented. (Daily Independent)