Terrorism: Almajiri System Fuelling Banditry In North — CAN

CAN has blamed the almajiri system in the North for the increasing cases of banditry.

Gatekeepers News reports that the Christian Association of Nigeria, has blamed the almajiri system in the North for the increasing cases of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and armed robbery in the country.

The chairman of CAN in Imo State, Rev. Dr. Eches Divine Eches, stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja, FCT ahead of the organisation’s 45th anniversary and Founder’s Day.

Eches noted that “banditry and kidnapping are increasing because the authorities have failed to pay more attention to the critical factors behind the widespread insecurity in the country.”

Eches also expressed concern over Sheikh Ahmed Gumi’s links with the bandits terrorising the Northwest and the alleged helplessness of the government to arrest and caution him for his many ‘unguarded utterances’ about their activities.

He said: “You can’t have Almajiri system for life and government in the last 40 years in our nation kept bringing up people without any trace to families, hometowns or nationalities.

‘’They are scattered all over the street, without you knowing that someday, they will leave the streets and go to the bush where they will begin to do the trade of kidnapping.

“Also, you can’t, in any sane nation, have the likes of Gumi, a religious scholar, going about promoting banditry and you don’t think that this will continue. Yet, that is what we are seeing today. We are not seeing anything more than what we have planted.

“We allowed this thing (insecurity) to continue and it is now going to consume the nation, if drastic measures are not put in place to take them (Almajiri) out of the streets, give them a sense of belonging, put them in school, and help them realise their potentials.

“These bandits we find today were the Almajiri who used to be in front of our houses, begging for food.

“We are praying and that is why God is still sustaining our nation. I trust God will continue to sustain us in Jesus name.”