The Kano State Hisbah Board says it has succeeded in apprehending over twenty under age children sleeping under bridges, markets and motor parks.
Confirming the incident to newsmen, Commander General of the agency, Sheikh Dr. Harun Muhammad Sani Ibn Sina explained that the children were evacuated from the streets following an under cover operation by Hisbah personnel within the state metropolis.
According to him most of the children claimed to have been from neighbouring states and villages and depend on begging as a means of survival.
The commander general pointed out that adequate arrangements were in top gear to reunite them with their families as the Kano state government had put modalities in place to eradicate street begging.
Sheik Dr Ibn Sina noted that as part of efforts to ensure protection of children, the Kano state government had sent a draft child protection bill to the Kano state house of assembly aimed at protecting the rights of children against all forms of labour and molestation.
” The kano state hisbah board is calling on parents as Allah (SAW) as appointed them as custodians,about 20 under aged children were found living under the bridge,markets and motor parks. They roam from one place to another in search of livelyhood they don’t go to school they live freely without any supervision”S
Some of those apprehended who spoke to Radio Nigeria pleaded for leniency and prayed to be reunited with their families.
.” We sleep together in the market,sometimes we move to the motor park and under the bridge. We beg for money to buy food or carry load in the market”
Radio Nigeria recalls that few months ago the Kano state government had launched a campaign against street begging by evacuating beggers and empowering them as well as reuniting some of them from neighbouring states with their families.
From Khadijah Aliyu, kano