The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Bishop Matthew Kukah has recounted how some Almajiris responsible for the destruction of a church in Kastina apologized for their actions while revealing that they were instructed to carry out the deed.
He emphasized that the presence of these children on the streets is a testament to the Northern political elite’s dereliction of duty. He argued that the lack of accountability of the Northern elite class has led to a situation where children are forced to take to the streets and therefore creating a false narrative about their identity.
He said in an interview with Arise TV From Minute 5:28, ”There is a distortion of identity of the Northern Nigeria youths. We know where these children are living and we know their faces. In 2011, one of our churches was destroyed in Funtua in Kastina state.
But barely one year later, these Almajiris came to the parish after I posted a young priest there. The priest said he was just sitting down and these children came in and they knelt down. And they said father we would like to apologize to you. to apologize for burning your Church. They said we were the ones who burnt the Church but we were sent to do it. So don’t worry about the kids you see on the street, it is a measure of the lack of responsibility of the Northern Political elite. They seem to be unwilling and reluctant to take full responsibility of the future of the region.”….Vìêw–Morê