Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has said the majority of the people who took part in the recent #EndBadGovernance protest sin the state were more of the Almajiris.
Almajiri is a Hausa term commonly used in West Africa, Nigeria, and other parts of the Sahel region. It refers to a student of Islamic knowledge who migrates from their hometown to study under a renowned Islamic scholar or in a prestigious Islamic institution.
In recent times, the term Almajiri has been associated with social and economic challenges such as child begging and exploitation, lack of access to modern education, health care, and vulnerability.
The almajiri system in the North usually faces rebuke because most of the children are in the streets begging for sustenance.
The governor who spoke during an interview on Thursday, August, 9, 2024 with Nigeria’s Channels Television stated that the Almajiris involved were people who did not know why they were on the streets, adding that the course of the protests in the north is a reason for reflection.
Recall that many Nigerian youths started a Nationwide protest on August 1st 2024 to express their disappointment over the nation's economic downturn and bad governance. The protest which was scheduled to span from 1- to 10th of August was met with looting, shooting, killing, arrests, and vandalism of both public and private property in the Northern part of Nigeria.
Sule emphasized that leaders in the Northern part of the country should collaboratively ensure that the issue of low education and childbirth is addressed in the region, adding that a disaster is looming in the zone.
He said “During this last protest that we had in Lafia, the majority of those that came out on the streets were the Almajiris. Some of them are 5, 7, and 9 years old,”
The governor added that when he interacted with them, he observed that many of the people who went to the streets to demonstrate had no idea of the protest as they did not understand the meaning of protest neither did they know what they were protesting against.
“We must sit down. At one point in 2020, we sat down as governors and took the decision about the almajiris. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out well’’. He added
The Governor Stressed that some of the religious leaders criticized them but with the recent development, Sule expressed positivity that criticism will no longer come as tension over there is reaching a boiling point.
Meanwhile Governor Sule’s statement about the protests being led by many Amajiris in Nasarawa State did not go down well with some Netizens. See reactions below
READ ALSO: https://nigerdeltaconnect.com/20-lives-lost-as-market-boat-explodes-in-bayelsa-river
Hunger gave them the reason, even if they don't understand anything, Hunger has a universal language in which they all understand @DSCommenta
That’s the same way they were the most that voted, most of them did not know the consequences of an election!!!
— ICON♠️🇳🇬 (@iconofabujaaa) August 9, 2024
·
So to you Almajiri is not a human
·
This one enter body
