Outrage as Kaduna moves to evacuate beggars

The fate of Almajirai in Kaduna state now hangs in the balance as government moves to evacuate all street beggars from the streets in line with the decision of Northern states to implement the anti-begging law that they have already signed. The law also aims to regulate the operation of the Almajirai in the state to restore sanity and to improve the wellbeing of all citizens.

In line with the decision, officials of the state government on January 14 this year, raided the residence of a renowned Muslim Scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi and found no fewer than 160 children, who were said to be undergoing a programme of study under the Almajiai education system. Many of the children including Toddlers , could not readily identify themselves properly.

Officials of the Kaduna State Task force on the Enforcement of Covid-19 protocols said the premises neither had approval to operate as a care home or school for the Almajirai and therefor ordered the place to be shut down. The government officials alleged the Almajirai were from 13 states in the country and other parts of Africa such as Benin Republic, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic.

A government official said that keeping children in unauthorized places was in contravention of the states’ land use regulations and inconsistent with the policy of repatriating Almajirai to their states and local governments of origin to continue their education under the care of their parents, and in properly registered and regulated schools.

He said that all non-governmental organisations, corporate entities, religious leaders and faith institutions must respect the state law which stipulates free and compulsory education for all children in properly registered schools.

But the action of the state government has continued to elicit negative reactions from some groups in support of the Almajirai education system. They do not frown at begging as a means of survival, something the state does not want to continue with.

One of the groups known as “Concerned Almajirai”, alleged that government was not fair and considerate in its disposition to the Almajirai, describing what took place in Sheikh Bauchi’s home as “unwarranted and unjustified arrest of students and persons”.

Yusuf Abdul Jaffaar, a chemical engineer who described himself as an Almaijirai and one Mallam Ibrahim Garba, were quick to say that government agents had failed to distinguish between beggars and students of the Holy Quran. To them, what happened to the Almaijirai was an abuse of their fundamental human right.

The Almajirai phenomenon, they explained, is basically and fundamentally a formal system of seeking the knowledge of Holy Quran, which entails learning its writing, recitation, memorization and in turn reproducing it from the heart.

“It is, therefore, far from street begging, child labour, child neglect, child abuse, among other societal and moral ills. An Almajirai is an individual who migrates from one place to another in search of knowledge, most importantly, of the Holy Quran and other sciences of Islam. There are good numbers of Almaijai who are self dependent, dependent on the care of their parents and guardians, and as such considering Almajirai as beggars is one of the highest displays of ignorance, sentiment and prejudice toward the Almajirai system”.

The aggrieved citizens urged that the authorities should arrest only beggars and not students of the Holy Quran.