The Almajiri phenomenon persists in posing a significant threat to security in many parts of the country, including the nation’s capital Abuja. Security experts have variously expressed deep concerns that Almajirai, who are often abandoned by their families and the state, resort to begging and street life, conditions, which often expose them to abuse, criminalization, and recruitment into violent activities of extremist groups.
Any serious government understands that the concentration of poor and uneducated youths in urban areas is embryonically latent to fostering an environment conducive to crime.
This is the harrying issue that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCT), Nyesom Wike, believes must be nipped in the bud to ensure that Abuja remains peaceful and safe for its residents.
Wike, on Tuesday, hosted an expanded security meeting in Abuja, to address the increasing influx of Almajiri and other individuals with security concerns into the territory.
A statement by the Director of Press in the Minister’s office, Anthony Ogunleye confirmed that Wike directed the immediate formation of a committee to address the influx of Almajiri and other persons considered a security threat to the nation’s capital city.
Commissioner of Police in FCT, Olatunji Disu, who briefed journalists after the Tuesday meeting, explained that the committee comprises members from FCT security agencies, including the Nigerian Police, Army, the Department of State Service (DSS), and the Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The committee among other things is tasked with several key responsibilities of working with Chairmen of the six Area Councils in the territory to identify schools where Almajiri children are being taught.
According to the Police Commissioner, the committee is expected to profile organizers of the schools, including their pictures and phone numbers, as well as determine the content of the training provided to the students.
Considering the seriousness which the Minister attaches to this initiative, the committee has been directed to submit its report within two weeks.
“This afternoon, we just had an expanded security meeting with the Minister of FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, which includes the Chairmen of the Area Councils. A lot of issues bothering on security were discussed. But mainly, we focused on the issue of the influx of people into the Federal Capital Territory, especially the Almajiri, Disu noted
He continued “The Minister at the end of the meeting directed that a Committee be set up by us and that he awaits the outcome of it in two weeks.
“The Committee has the mandate to see how it’s going to work with the Area Council Chairmen for them to identify schools where these children are being brought into to learn, to profile those organizing these schools, to have the pictures, phone numbers of those organizing these schools and to work out means of working with them in future and probably to find out what the government can do to ensure that they are kept in check and to find out the content of the training they are giving these students in their various schools”.
The Commissioner told reporters that the security agencies recently arrested some persons who are considered security risks to the FCT and assured that further details will be released to the public after investigations.
He, therefore, urged all FCT residents to be security conscious and report suspicious individuals in their areas to the appropriate authorities.
“Everybody should be security conscious…we need to profile people coming into our environments, we need to know them…” the CP said.
CP Disu reiterated the commitment of the FCT Security Committee to ensure the safety and security of all residents, stressing that the security agencies will continue to take proactive measures to address potential threats in Abuja.
Reports indicate that previous administrations in the territory had implemented efforts to clean up Abuja by removing street beggars and deploying an approach of relocating them from the city to their states of origin with some sent to rehabilitation centers.
Minister Wike also recently initiated an operation crackdown on beggars from Abuja streets in a move to prevent the territory from degenerating into a “beggars’ city,” and to preserve its aestetics. The initiative in the initial phase, saw the arrest of several beggars and about 19 scavengers.
With these actions of the Minister, there is hope that the residents will continue to witness huge improvements aimed at elevating Abuja’s status globally, while addressing social issues and providing better living conditions and opportunities for millions of people in the territory.
