Almajiranci is a system of Islamic education practiced in northern Nigeria. A young boy who is taught within this system is called Almajiri, and a young girl schooling in the system is called Almajira. It is a system that encourages parents to leave parental responsibilities to the attached Islamic school. The kids are practically abandoned to fend for themselves.
The Hausa word Almajiri is derived from the Arabic word “al-Muhajirun,” which refers to a person who migrated his home in search of Islamic knowledge.
Almajirai are children, usually from poor rural backgrounds, who leave their hometowns to study Islamic learning with “malams” teachers of the Quran.
Almajiri usually begin their studies between the ages of 3 and 12, and they also practice alms begging, or almajiranchi, out of necessity to eat. They wield plates with which to be for food, which also serve weapons for them. Begging for alms was not originally part of the almajirai system, but it is now incorporated in it as the malams think it enables them face the hardships of life, make them strong and humble, and keep them devoted to studying the Quran.
It is estimated that Northern Nigeria is home to about 8.5 million Almajiri children.
The Northern elites perfected a way to perpetually keep their people down, so that they will never rise up to Challenge their authorities. In their quest to do this, they turned the Almajiri to a system of servitude veiled with religion which will make their masses to take only instructions from them, and never act and think on their own.
The greatest way to keep a people down is to deny them education, and indoctrinate them into a system basically devoid of common sense. This is the reason why the Almajiri system thrived in the North. They are deprived basic education which they said is western and sinful, but are taught Islamic education which is the perfect and only way to keep them submissive.
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The Northern elites who have been in support of this almajiri system have tactically sent their wards to overseas to have the best of education, and position them to still rule over the masses when they die. The question now is, why have the Northern elites not allow their own children to be part of the almajiri system? Why have they constantly reminded their masses that western education is sinful, yet send their wards to acquire the same western education? Does it mean Northern elites and their families are immune to sin?
The Northern elites decided not to allow these group of young boys see the light because they exploit their ignorance, having successfully confined their thought to dustbins. They are radicalized and they become the political thugs of the elites, and also their tools for religious violence. Most of them graduate into terrorism because they are constantly in the streets and sometimes get immune to fear. They do the dirty works of the elites.
The former President of Nigeria Goodluck Ebele Jonathan tried to solve that problem of the North by establishing Almajiri schools so that those boys will get formal education and get off the street. But the elites saw it as a threat to their hold on power and control of the masses. They fought tooth and nail and killed off the system, not because they didn’t know Jonathan had noble and sincere intentions, but because it’s a threat to their continued grip on power. People like the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the former CBN Governor and Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi have called for the abolition of the system, but most of the elites are against it.
Like what happens to humanity, as nobody has successfully held a people down perpetually, the almajiri system that the Northern elites have fed on for a very long time has turned to haunt them. The terrorism and banditry in Northern Nigeria today are an offshoot of the Almajiri system.
The recent deportation of these boys to their home states is medicine after death. The deed has already been done, and they are almost out of control of the elites in the North. The testing positive of COVID-19 by majority of these young boys,and their subsequent escape from isolation centers speak volumes. That act has spiraled the spread of the virus in the North.
Northern Nigeria ought to learn from their mistake on Almajiri system, as the monster they fed has now risen to devour them all. What they are suffering now is a self-inflicted injury, and the time is ripe for the boys to come after the elites who turned them to little demons.
By Odumodu Gbulagu
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK