Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-1, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

Parental Neglect and Juvenile Delinquency of Almajirai in State, .

Thomas Imoudu Gomment, Ph.D Department of Sociology, University Anyigba, Nigeria

Abstract : This paper examines the relationship The term ‘almajiri’ is a Hausa word for between parental neglect and juvenile delinquency pupil or student. The word is derived from the of almajirai in Northern Nigeria. Almajirai, like term al-muhajir, meaning the migrant. other street boys, are victims of parental neglect Historically, the term has its origin in the famous and other family-related issues. Like other migration of the Prophet Muhammed and his vulnerable children, almajirai are left to fend for compatriots from Makkah to Madinah in the early themselves, through street-begging, which has days of (Khalid, 2006). In its Nigerian usage, made them susceptible to social vices, which by the word almajiri means those who left their virtue of age, can be adjudged juvenile deviant or villages or town, parents, relations, and friends in delinquent behaviour. With the institution of the search of Islamic religious knowledge and almajiri system, Muslims are encouraged to go and scholarship. search for Islamic knowledge and scholarship, The almajiri system was established as an irrespective of the distance, as knowledge is seen organized and comprehensive system of education as a cherished value. In the past, particularly, in for learning Islamic principles, values, pre-colonial Nigerian society, almajirai were taken jurisprudence and theology. It was a replica of care of by the state, parents, and host community, Islamic learning centers in many Muslim countries which was later truncated by colonialism. With the such as the madrasah in , Malaysia, Egypt colonial intrusion, coupled with the poverty and Indonesia (Danbuzzu, 2013). During the pre- situation of most parents, parents no longer care colonial period in Northern Nigeria, the system was for the welfare of their wards, which has made funded from the state treasury and ‘zakkat’ funds them to engage in juvenile delinquency. The study under the control of the emirs. Apart from this, the found that polygamy was a contributory factor to community supported these almajirai most of this menace. The paper recommended that whom came from faraway places to enroll in these polygamy should be discouraged, and parental schools. The students were at liberty to acquire neglect should be criminalized. vocational and occupation skills in between lessons and so were involved in farming, fishing, well Keywords: Parental Neglect, Juvenile construction, masonry, tailoring, etc (Danbuzzu, Delinquency, Almajirai, Street-begging, Poverty. 2013). This is well captured by Bala (2014), who posited that the almajiri schools, as practiced INTRODUCTION during the pre-colonial days were maintained by The Almajiri system is as old as Islam in Northern the state, communities, parents, zakkah Nigeria. Among the areas of West into (almsgiving), wagf (endowment) and supplemented which Islam was early introduced is Kanem-Borno, by the teachers and students through farming. some territory of which forms part of present day- Many of these almajirai in the pre-colonial era later Nigeria. Complex communication systems on land became farmers of the northern Nigeria cotton and and water connected several areas which later came groundnut pyramids. They were the leather tanners to be known as Nigeria (Balogun, 1980). Almajiri and leather shoe and bag makers in the old system has been a medium of early childhood Empire as well as cap weavers and tailors in Zaria Islamic education in Northern Nigeria since the 11th city (Danbuzzu, 2013). century (Bolujoko, 2008). As far back as 1921, In 1904, the British invaded and colonized there were 30,411 Islamic schools in Northern the northern Nigeria territories and took control of Nigeria (Rechmuth, 1989).The almajiri system as the treasury, abolished state funding of almajiri an age-long tradition of Muslims across the globe school system, which to them were mere religious developed as a result of the instruction given by schools. Boko, meaning western education was Prophet Muhammed that knowledge is a cherished introduced and funded instead. This development value and that all Muslims should be encouraged to rendered Islamic scholars unqualified for go in search of Islamic knowledge and scholarship employment and participation in politics. This irrespective of the distance (Khalid, 2007). created poverty situation as mallams lost their jobs because of lack of western education which is the

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-1, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in only criterion for white-collar jobs that was only criminal involvement. In most cases, delinquents available for educated individuals. have been viewed as individuals who come from With the loss of support from the less-intact families often referred to as “broken government and the helpless Emirs and increasing homes” (See Sanni, et al, 2010). The number of pupils to take care of, as well as aforementioned shows the relationship between increasing level of poverty in the country, the care family-related problems and juvenile delinquency of the almajirai became overwhelmingly in society. burdensome for mallams who were left with no Abuh (2015) found that almajirai are other alternative than to send the almajirai to go effectively abandoned by their parents and and beg for alms. In the course of begging, they are exploited by their Mallams and members of the likely to imbibe negative values from the influence public; as they end up facing a future lifestyle of people they come across. woven by poverty and hardship. This is because the Begging is the most distracting aspect of Islamic education they receive only equips them almajiri system as it takes them out of the control with few skills that do not fit into the harsh and of mallams, and exposes them to negative habits as capitalist oriented modern economy that the nation they come in contact with people of low virtue like operates and thus cannot offer them profitable prostitutes, cultists, drug addicts, traffickers, employment. The above findings corroborate terrorists, arsonists, etc. These are some of the Asuelimu (2015) who observed that almajiri features of the almajirai of nowadays who are system is a dysfunctional educational system, victims of neglect and exploitation. They are seen which produced children the parents don’t care for everywhere singing and begging for food and but dumped them with mallams or quranic teachers money, which according to Tilde (2009), are who misuse impressionable kids as beggars and vulnerable to abuse, drugs, trafficking, and various means of livelihood was a time bomb the nation set forms of exploitation. Their conditions of living is recklessly with fatalistic assumption that what less than average as reflected in their torn, dirty would be would be as if the almighty has not given looking cloth, hungry stomach, and unkept body. man the wisdom to recreate life and environment. These almajirai are outside their place of In a field survey conducted in Sokoto domiciliation in search of Islamic knowledge, State by Sule-Kano (2010), it was found that most which means they are not staying with their parents would prefer not to contribute anything to biological parents, who for religious the upkeep of their almajiri children. In some permissiveness, marry as many wives as possible schools less than 10% of parents made any and produce scores of children. These children are contribution at all. This shows that almajirai are dumped in almajiri schools because Islamic neglected by their parents which is capable of education is free; some of the parents will not show pushing them into social vices as they rely on up again, let alone caring for their children. different devices to keep body and souls in harmony. Those in the village constitute the major Parental Neglect as a Delinquency- source of labour in farms while those in the city are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation of different Breeding Factor magnitude (see Tilde, 2013; Khalid, 2000). The proliferation of street children especially in Closely related to the deteriorating role of developing countries is attracting global attention. the families of Almajirai is the issue of polygamy. Bourdillon (2001 in Oyeniyi, Ojo, Lanre and This is a situation where people just for religious Olusina (2009) noted that when we see children permissiveness, marry as many as 3-4 wives and neglected on the street, we should be worried about produce as many children as possible only to be what this means for the future of our society. When taken to mallams so as to relief themselves of the they are left unsupervised, they will rely solely on responsibilities of training them. As a corollary, the values of the informal group they come across children from such families who suffer deprivation and as they interact with these people, they are seek alternative means of survival which may only likely to imbibe negative traits which sometimes, be found in the easily accessible ‘trade’ of street are in conflict with the expectations of the society. begging. Thus, child abuse and neglect has . According to Cashwell and Vacc (1996), families continued unabated in Northern Nigeria (Aluaigba, behaviours particularly parental monitoring and 2009). This shows a close relationship between discipline seem to influence association with polygamy and the plight of almajirai. delinquent peers through out the juvenile period. A This is to buttress the position of a former long history of research has further linked family Youth Corp member, Lawal Olaitan, in Gombe dysfunction with future criminal offending, in part State who told “Islam Online” that men who abuse because parents monitor and provide nurturance to the institution of marriage by marrying many wives children. It is thought that the loosening of bonds and procreating loads of children when they could among family members may result in more hardly cater for one, send their kids to Almajiri

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-1, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in schools only to shed their excess responsibilities the then Nigeria’s Minister of State for Education, (Muhammed, 2012). This shows the same trend Aishat Jibrin Dukku, lamenting on the insensitivity with the study of the socioeconomic and of the parents of Almajirai made the following demographic attributes of the almajirai in Sokoto remarks on a Hausa local Radio Show; They just State conducted by Shuaibu and Jimoh (2011), send them away without making any arrangement which indicates that the majority (65.8%) of the for their feeding, medical care, shelter and other family of the respondents practice polygamy. The necessities. Most of these children, because of the study findings are also compatible with the harsh realities they found themselves in, end up situation analysis of social conditions and becoming juvenile delinquents and, subsequently nutritional status of children in Pakistan, which adult criminals (www.nigeriancuriosity.com/2009). revealed that most street children came from large Family or parental neglect is a serious family background. The findings of the above delinquency-breeding phenomenon. As seen in the study corroborates a study on the almajiri literature, empirical studies have shown that some syndrome in Northern Nigeria, conducted by almajirai have engaged in delinquent activities, Aluaigba (2009), where it was found that many particularly violence, looting, alcohol, drug and men with mean or no meaningful source of income substance abuse. The socioeconomic characteristics marry three or four wives, with multiple births of street children in the Egyptian city of Alexandra from these wives, they end up with fifteen to was studied and found that street children come twenty children or more which their economic from problematic family backgrounds. They, like power cannot shoulder. almajirai in Nigeria, were disproportionately Parental neglect has many social victims of family backgrounds, sexual and physical implications in child’s personality as they lack abuse (Shuaibu and Jimoh, 2011). proper socialization from the family as the primary Almajirai Involvement in Violent agent of socialization which other secondary agents Juvenile Delinquency of socialization will build on. The family is the first Juvenile delinquency has been one of the point of contact, where a child sees the world social problems in Nigeria in general and Kano through the primary socialization, learns the norms, State in particular. For instance, the governor of values, and the cultural heritage of the society. The , Mallam , referring to family has a vital role to play in the development of the role almajirai played during the Maitatsine the child’s personality. It is the foundation of every crisis in Kano in 1980, urged parents to give their individuals and that is why it is referred to as the young ones good education which would move bedrock of society. According to Wilmot (1985), them away from juvenile delinquency that he depending on the quality of socialization, the child admitted was a problem in the state (Indabawa, is said to be ‘cultured’ and well behaved, or to be 2013). The Maitatsine disturbance in Kano alone rude and ‘badly brought up’ and to lack home resulted in the death of 4,177 people between training. Secondary socialization continues December 18 and 29, 1980. The main adherents of throughout the life of the individual building on the Maitatsine were almajirai (Armed Conflict Events primary foundation established at the family level. Data, 2013). Since the family has the most intimate contact with In the same direction, from 1980-1985, the child during the formative years, it plays a Northern Nigeria witnessed four main religious uniquely important role in determining the crises and according to Winters (1987), the behaviour patterns a child will eventually exhibit participants in these riots were the Almajirai. In the (Broom and Selznick, 1963). 2004 religious crisis in Kano city, the violence The role of the family in the socialization unleashed on innocent residents was successful of the child cannot be over emphasized. There are because the participants comprised mainly many who believe that “juvenile delinquency” Almajirai (Human Rights Watch, 2005) should be referred to as juvenile P delinquency, On July 13, 2010, an attempt by a 19 year with “P” standing for “Parental”. The emphasis is old Almajiri, Usman Musa to kill the Emir of Kano not difficult to understand for it is the relationship at the instance of a cleric, mallam Hamidu (who between parental failure and child misconduct according to the culprit had been his spiritual (U.N.O., 2002). advisers) was truncated by a smart palace guard. It is in the light of the foregoing that a The almajiri equally admitted that he just came great deal of attention has been given recent back from Abuja where he robbed an Igbo man of criminological research on juvenile delinquency, three million naira at Jabi garage. Malam Hamidu home conditions and child rearing practices. As denied his involvement but both of them were Igbo (1999) observed, criminologists and other detained (Nigerian Best Forum, 2013). social researchers generally agree that the family Efforts at Ameliorating the Conditions of has a crucial role to play in the development of Almajirai delinquent or non-delinquent personality. In 2009,

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-1, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

Despite the efforts made by government, traditional America, the programme is specifically designed to rulers, NGOs, individuals, as well as other combat labour exploitation of street child-beggars agencies, the problems of almajirai persist partly and de-escalate the state of insecurity in Kano and because of lack of commitments from the the North-West geo-political zone of the country stakeholders in almajiri education. In 1984, the (Abuh, 2015). Kano State Government banned the migration of The project which seeks to complement itinerant scholars from rural areas to cities; the pilot the efforts of the Governor led feeding scheme in three priority local government administration and the people of Kano to solve areas of Kano State in 2003 initiated by the problems of child beggars, is designed to reduce governor, Ibrahim Shekarau and the effort of the the exposure of almajirai to violence and anti-social governor of , Sule Lamido to behaviours, which would positively impact on the modernize Qur’anic education were all in a bid to sustenance of peace and harmonious relationship address the problem of child street beggars among people of different socio-cultural back (Bolujoko, 2008; Aluaigba, 2009; Kurfi, 2010). As ground residing in Kano State. The programme is observed by Khalid (2000), despite attempts by being jointly implemented by two Kano based some state governments like Sokoto in 1986 and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO); the Kano in 1988 to eradicate, or at least regulate the Justice Development and Peace/Caritas Advocates almajiri phenomenon, the system continued to (JDPCA) Kano and Resource Centre for Human increase. Worthy of mention is the effort of the Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED). Already governor of , , to the initiative which aims at having four thousand integrate the Tsangaya(almajiri) system into families in complete charge of the welfare and western education (Nairaland Forum, 2014). well-being of their children have been endorsed by Another recent efforts made by the federal both Kano State, Kano State Hisba Board, selected government to build almajiri primary schools for members of House of Assembly, Civil Society possible enrolment of thousands of almajirai Organisation, and Religious leaders, among others wandering the streets of Kano is yet to (Abuh, 2015). significantly change the tide. A source at the Kano Prior to the above initiative, Kano State State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, initiated a prohibition against almajiri by the presented a document that has it that, seven out of Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social the ten federal government almajiri schools are Development (MOWASD) in order to reduce completed. The other three are the Model 2 prevalence of child labour in Nigeria by 2015. This intervention schools that are about to be completed initiative which was meant to take almajirai off the (Leadership Online, 2014). streets of Kano has only succeeded in taking them In another development, a number of non- off the major streets but the story is still the same in governmental organizations(NGOs)-Malama the interior and slum areas of the city as Adama Usman Foundation, Tanmiyya Foundation, demonstrated by respondents in the interview Rochas Foundation, Jammatul Nasrul Islam conducted in Kano metropolis. Foundation, NASFAT-and other well-meaning In another development, Kano State individuals help to take care of these children Economic Empowerment and Development (Bala, 2014). The wife of the Strategy as well as United States Agency for governor, Hajiya Fatima Shema distributed 5,000 International Development equally supported sets of clothes to almajirai to enable them celebrate Almajiri/Tsangaya schools centre for large Eid-el-fitr happily in 2014. They were selected numbers of these almajiri children originating from from the 3 senatorial districts of the state, among outside (Kano State, 2014). This will complement who were orphans and other less privileged that the efforts of the federal government through deserve assistance from the general public (Elazeh, Universal Basic Education (UBE) and Educational 2014). People like the late Malam Trust Fund (ETF) intervention aimed at building have, as early as the 1950s, advocated the one hundred and fifty (150) Tsangaya/ Almajiri establishment of Islamiyyah schools in place of schools across the country, in which Kano State makarantar allo (almajiri schools) so as to reflect was one of the beneficiaries. This joint gesture is to the socio-economic dynamics of modern world. In reduce the problems of child street-beggars in this kind of arrangement, children can attend Nigeria. It has been established by Onwumere schools within their immediate vicinity under the (2013) that 30 percent of Northern youths were watchful eyes of their parents and guardians almajirai. (Khalid, 2000). Of the contracts awarded by UBEC/ETF At another level, an advocacy campaign for the construction of ten (10) Almajiri/Tsangaya aimed at stemming the increasing abuse of Model Schools spread to 10 LGA in Kano State, almajirai has commenced work in Kano State. seven (7) currently were 100% completed, while Sponsored by the Embassy of the United State of the remaining three (3) were at advanced stages of

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-1, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in progress (Kano State Directorate of Current from https://m.facebook.com/uba. d in March Affairs, in DanZainab, 2014). 11, 2015. 10. Elazeh, M. (2014). Shema donates clothes to CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION “Almajirai”. Retrieved from In conclusion, the paper has succeeded in http://leadership.ng/features/37... in April 1, establishing the nexus between parental neglect and 2014) juvenile delinquency of almajirai in Northern 11. Human Rights Watch (2005). Revenge in the Nigeria. Polygamy was identified as a factor name of religion: The cycle of violence in complicating the issue of parental neglect, a Plateau and Kano States. Retrieved from situation where people marry as many as four http//www. hrw. wives and produce scores of children they could Org/en/node/11755/Section/2 in September 5, hardly cater for, only to be dumped in almajiri 2013. school which is free, to fend for themselves, and in 12. Indabawa, H.S.(2013). Shekarau and the process engage in juvenile delinquency. education: A Revivalist approach. Retrieved Against this backdrop, the paper recommended that from www Gamji.com/…NEWS 5797htm in parental neglect be criminalized, and polygamy be January 7 2014 discouraged. 13. Khalid, S. (2000). The almajiranci. Islamic REFERENCES Culture, LXXIV (2), 87-97.

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