Abdullahi Sule: Most protesters in Nasarawa were almajiris — they didn’t know reason for protest

Abdullahi Sule, governor of Nasarawa, says majority of those who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest in his state were almajiris who did not know why they were on the streets. 

Almajiranci is a system of Islamic education practised in northern Nigeria. It allows parents to cede upbringing of their wards to the Islamic school.

The male gender is called almajiri, while the female gender is almajira.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday, Sule said the trajectory of the protests in the north is cause for introspection.

On August 1, a 10-day nationwide protest against economic hardship commenced in many parts of the country.

In northern Nigeria, the protest was marred by looting and vandalism.

The governor said northern leaders must address education and child birth in the region, adding that the zone is a ticking time bomb.

“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,” he said.

“A lot of them didn’t even understand the meaning of the protest. When I spoke with them later, they didn’t even 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. They went back to square one. Some of the religious leaders criticised it.

“But from what happened now, I don’t believe anybody will continue to criticise actions that will be taken in order to move forward. Otherwise, it’s a ticking time bomb. It will come and consume everyone of us.”

The almajiri system is often criticised because most of the children eventually swam the streets to beg for alms and food.