If there is any difference between Almajiris and Boko Haram it should be a matter of semantics. Almajiri has been a contentious phenomenon which has generated concern from different quarters including the presidency. Almajirai are popularly known to many people as beggars (bara) and hawkers (talla), more especially teenage beggars, street kids and wanderers.
If there is any difference between Almajiris and Boko Haram it should be a matter of semantics. Almajiri has been a contentious phenomenon which has generated concern from different quarters including the presidency. Almajirai are popularly known to many people as beggars (bara) and hawkers (talla), more especially teenage beggars, street kids and wanderers.
Almajiri originally means an Islamic student but the harshness of economy and bastardization of the system has reduced them to beggars and tools of violence. Some of these kids were taken to the Almajirai schools as little as three years old when they barely know their parents. Almajiri and Boko Haram are now like primary pupils graduating into secondary school. The two are not separable with only difference being that Almajiri has been existing long before Boko Haram. Almajiri can exist without Boko Haram but Boko Haram can barely survive without Almajiri system. There are established personalities who went through and conquered their Almajiric background but their parcentage are far less than those who were and are still getting lost in the phenomenon.
Boko Haram is not the first sectarian uprising we have witnessed in this country. Boko Haram has a forerunner called Maitasane sect which had similar anti-west-Christian ideology. When Maitasane became a thorn in the flesh of national security, they where flushed out by troops led by Major General David Jemibewon in alliance with the police and later came Yandaba phenomenon. After them, came the Izzalas which was disbanded by Gen. Babangida’s government. The flushing out and disbandment did not achieve meaningful result as only their activities were stopped at those moments and the system that produced them were left in tact. Subsequent ethno-religious crisis that we have witnessed in Nigeria is an indication that the system producing over zealous religious radicals should either be reformed or banned totally.
In 12 years, Nigeria has set up over 400 panels with billions of naira spent without any action taken on reports. Panels are now avenue of job creation for retired Judges where they sip tea and go home with fat wallets. Boko Haram is not only enemy for non-Muslims but to Muslims who preach peace and tolerance. Recently they fatally murdered Mallam Adamu near his home at Sabo Layi in Gwange ward in Maiduguri. He was said to be a Qu’ranic scholar who taught other young Muslim scholars. He died for preaching peace and trying to breed a generation of Islamic peace preachers. His death was to serve as warning to other Islamic teachers who preach peace to desist or have the same fate befall them.
Recently, Boko Haram attained a notorious record braking height Maitasane and their other forerunners never attained by sending Muhammed Manga to carry out the first audacious suicide mission in Nigerian history. Mohammed Manga was a 35-year-old married man with five kids who drove overnight from Maiduguri to Abuja to carry out his savoured mission of being the first suicide bomber in Nigerian history. He was originally from Adamawa State but was born and bred in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. He was said to be successful businessman who left 5million naira for his kids and had arranged everything in his house for his demise. When this first suicide bombing was announced the question people were asking was, how did they succeed in getting a Nigerian (suffering and smiling) to carry out this suicide bombing? We should not forget that suicide bombing is driven by three major things, hunger, religious bigotry and hopeless future and Nigeria has these in excess.
The government is trying to contend with Boko Haram menace which is a product of leadership submerged in massive corruption and negligence of its people while the institutions breeding these miscreants are very much in tact and effective. They are one the results of yesterday’s corrupt and inept leadership with much of their ilk to evolve as Nigerian leadership is still the same. This administration promised to reform the Almajiri schooling system which will be an uphill task except approached with determination and doggedness as those the government wants to reform loath the institution of government with passion. These Boko Haram sect is filled mostly with uneducated minds whose redemption lies with the education they brand ‘Haram’ meaning sin or abomination.
The contradiction in the belief and actions of Boko Haram is still surprising. They appear to loathe on any thing associated or linked to western education, yet they make use of motor-cycles, cell phones, bombs, guns, cars, etc, and these are products of western education they said to be sin. Their belief and actions depicts one Igbo adage “Inaghi ata anu Nkita mana iji eze ekere ya umuazi” meaning, you don’t eat Dog but you share its meat with your teeth for children. The aspiration of Nigeria as a nation is to be counted among the first 20 biggest economies of the world and the same goes to Boko Haram as they strive to be a force to reckon with in the world of terrorism. Presence of terror will not allow Nigeria the conducive environment to develop, on the other hand, peaceful Nigeria will not guarantee Boko Haram the recognition they desire.
The Nigerian political economy has been structured in such a way that it never worked in the interest of the oppressed majority. The problems of Almajiriai is clearly a result of capitalist disequilibrium which both Christian and Muslim communities of the lower class in Nigeria have to confront. This is the challenge to government and the well-to-do section of the Muslim communities to support the uplifting of these less privileged class but I doubt as the ruling class wants the less privileged to be perpetually kept in the dark.
Writes from University of Jos
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