TheCable

The Kaduna state government says criminal charges will be filed against Malam Nura, an Islamic teacher “caught on camera brutalising Isah Muazu”, an 11-year-old almajiri student.

The almajiri system is a process where children go far away from their homes for tutoring and Islamic knowledge.

Pictures of Muazu surfaced on the internet after he was allegedly tortured by Nura, his teacher, in Niger state.

Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, after receiving Muazu, an indigene of Kaduna state, at the government house on Tuesday, said there is no part of the Qur’an that says underage children should be tortured in a dehumanising manner.

He added that a directive has been issued for all children who are indigenes of Kaduna to be sent back home from almajiri schools in Niger state. 

Sani added that the government will provide free education for the students under the Tsangaya system. 

“I was disturbed when I saw on social media how the boy was tortured and dehumanised by his Malam. The Malam was wrong to give the boy this type of punishment,” the governor said. 

“Kaduna state government will not tolerate abuse of children under whatever guise, therefore, we will press charges against the Malam that dehumanised this young innocent boy, because it is against the law to torture children in the name of giving them Islamic education.

“We have brought back all the children from Niger state. We have a better Tsangaya system in Kaduna state, where we will give them Islamic and formal education 

“There is nowhere in the Quran that says underage children have to be taken away from their parental care before they get Islamic education.

“We don’t want to see children roaming the streets begging.”