Imo Hausa Monarch Explains Why Residents Shouldn't Worry About Almajirai Influx

The traditional ruler of the Hausa community in Imo, Serki Auwalu Sulaiman, has assured the residents of the state that the Almajirai in the state will not constitute any danger contrary to the speculations of the people.

Sulaiman, who briefed journalists at his palace in Owerri over the weekend, explained that the northern youths were purely in the state for business and not for Jihad as was being taunted in some quarters. 

According to him,  “A lot of people don’t really know what Almajiri means; the rumour going on in the social media that they are coming into Imo is a worrisome issue because the people are afraid; they said almajiri is coming into the state to take over or any other frightening claims.

“Almajirai are students in Islamic schools outside their own states and they are non-violent. They are called Almajirai because they left their parents’ houses to go to another place in the process of acquiring Islamic knowledge.

“The truth is that anybody coming from the North don’t come alone with the driver, they are people from different places and most of these people you see are labourers , barrow pushers, loaders; we have the authentic list of people who are doing business here.”

However, the immediate past chairman of Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC, Chima Chukwuonye has condemned the influx of the northern youths into the state, alleging that their past crime record is a thing to worry about.

Chukwuonye claimed that the northern youths have been noted to have committed heinous crimes especially robbing people with their commercial motorcycles and tricycles.

According to him, “Most of these youths have committed crime in the past and ran away; they robbed people with their motorcycles and Keke; this crime record is there.

“About three weeks ago, at Toronto bus stop, one of them riding a motorbike with one hand and answering a phone all with the other hand was knocked down by a truck and before ten minutes his people were mobilised and they wanted to burn down the vehicle , thank God for the police who saved the situation.” 

Chukwuonye, according to Daily Sun, advised the state government to have an accurate database of all the almajirai currently staying in Imo State so that they can be identified.