Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the people of
northern Nigeria are the most backward in the world.
Ribadu said this on Wednesday
while speaking at the launch of “Sect and social disorder” and “Quaranic
Schools in Northern Nigeria”, books edited by Abdul Rafau Mustapha and Hannah
Hoechner.
The event organised by Premium
Times Books took place in Abuja.
The former EFCC chairman
described the Almajiri system as the worst form of abuse of human rights.
“I am from Yola, we have similar
culture with Kaduna, Kano but we don’t have Almajiri, what is happening? We are
also Muslims. There are lots of areas where we have similar things. Which
education are we talking about, these are some things that are incredible and
you don’t know where to start,” he said.
“There is no worse – in the form
of violation and abuse of rights more than the Almajiri system, yet people are
justifying it comfortably calling themselves as products of it. I think we have
to look at it crucially otherwise we will continue to go that direction that we
will not be able to solve her problems.
“We are the most backward people
in this world, the society of northern Nigeria. Look at all the indices in the
world today, we are the worst why? How can we continue to deny ourselves our
future?”
Ribadu said the boys in the
Almajiri system are often victims of violence
“I worked on many of those crisis
and conflicts as a member of the investigation team and tribunal, I was in
Zango Kataf, I was in Tafawa Balewa, I was in Kaduna religious crisis, I was
among the prosecutors of El-Zakzaky in the 1990s,” he said.
“During the Kaduna religious
disturbance of 2000, we visited where they buried the victims along Birnin
Gwari road, they opened the graves for us, what I saw is still haunting me.
There were bodies, all of them young boys, no girls that is talking about
Almajiri – boys over 100 buried in mass graves and no identity, not a single
one of them had a name and they were all buried, I got interested in this.
“I said let me see and get it
touch with those who are responsible for it. They were victims of the crisis
that took place in Kaduna because of the Sharia riots. They said they did not
have their identity or Mallam responsible for them? They said no. Did anyone
come to complain that they have lost a child?
“They said no. I was also in
interpol, I had a duty to do outside Nigeria. I flew British Airways few days
after that and the governor who introduced Sharia to Nigeria had his kids there
and they all went to the first class. It was terrible for me. I could not say
anything throughout the flight. The sight of those young boys, buried,
unidentified – nobody is talking about it, the families never even complained,
not even their so-called mallams.”
On his part, Matthew Kukah,
archbishop of Sokoto diocese, said people in the north need to help themselves.
“If we were serious Christians or
Muslims we will not be having this conversation,” he said.
“We in the northern Nigeria, we
have to help ourselves.”
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