Cross River State government on Thursday ordered five truckloads of almajirai including other passengers from the northern part of the country back to their destination after they were intercepted on state boundary.
A border patrol team, comprising Peace Corps members, civilian vigilantes, Border COVID-19 Taskforce, youth groups had intercepted the trucks Wednesday night at the Garkem border town in Bekwara LGA of the state near Benue State.
The team was led by the state commissioner for youths, Signor Omang Idiege who said it was the result of intensive search and blockade of interstate vehicular travels, which his team was poised to enforce.
“After a thorough check on the five trucks and discovered that most of the passengers, aside goods, were almajiriai who did not meet COVID-19 protocols, we had to force them to return.”
The commissioner appealed COVID-19 task force to visit the truck parks in the state and caution their drivers against indulging conveying almajirai who have not been isolated.
State security adviser Alfred Mboto said, “We got a report from our security and taskforce teams at the Garkem border town that trucks carrying large number of children from the north alleged to be almajirai were intercepted after thorough check, and have been turned back.”
