Why we should end almajiranci now

The recent incident in Sokoto, where a Mallam was alleged to have raped Almajiris, that were in his care and also given out some boys to be abused should be used as a reason to finally abolish the Almajiri practice. Since the news broke, I have been having sleepless night over the fate of these […]

The recent incident in Sokoto, where a Mallam was alleged to have raped Almajiris, that were in his care and also given out some boys to be abused should be used as a reason to finally abolish the Almajiri practice.

Since the news broke, I have been having sleepless night over the fate of these young boys whose only fault was that they were born to parents who lack adequate understanding.

The issue of almajiranci is not new. Some of us from the North, where this is mostly practiced know that there is nothing beneficial about it.

The Sokoto Mallam’s case may the one in the open, but there are many of such cases going on that are not reported. The most annoying part of the story was that the Mallam didn’t seem to be sorry for what he did.

I urge the government and relevant stakeholders to look into this issue carefully and seek ways to address it.

Mustapha Ibrahim wrote from Minna, and can be reached at: [email protected]