COVID 19: After Osun, Oyo, Others May Deport Northern Youths

By Rita Oyedele

The Zamfara state government has failed in its threat to stop the deportation of youths from the northern part of the country into Osun state.

Two days ago, Osun was warned by Zamfara not to attempt sending back the youths who have flooded the south west state in the last few days.

The state is not the first to carry out such action. Kano has recently sent  400 almajiri s( child beggars) back to their state of origin.

Kaduna has also done same in spite of protest against Governor Nasir el-Rufai by his northern counterparts.

Deporting the youths, who came into Osun in different lorries, the government of Zamfara said will be against their fundamental human rights of movement.

Any Nigerian has the rights to move into any part of the country without been hindered, the Zamfara governor said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, Zailani Bappa.

But Osun has now rebuffed the Zamfara helmsman, as it has gone ahead with deportation of the northern indigenes

Osun state  Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode, in a statement Friday, said the state has decided to follow through with the deportation in line with presidential directive that banned all interstate travels and movements.

She said the youths came in at a time when the state’s boundaries “are currently shut.”

The statement said even though the state “believes in the unity of the nation but will not hesitate to take actions against those who breach its boundaries and try to jeopardise the health of its people.

Osun is not the first to carry out such action.

According to Egbemode “Every state in the country is upscaling its security measures in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic and other vices.

Zamfara state government, a few days back, arrested some suspected illegal miners in the state.”

Meanwhile, the magazine learnt from senior government officials in the south west, that more states in the region are likely to follow Osun line of action by deporting non indegenes from the north who move into their states during the period of lockdown.