Amira and Bilkisu: 6 years old Maiduguri street beggars

Yahuza Rabiu Garba Reporting from Maiduguri, Borno state.

Amira, Balkisu

Amira and Balkisu are known as beggars at Tashan Bama, an economic joint in the city of Maiduguri. The beggars are said to have been coming to the place for some time,  that captures consideration of bypassers even thought not helped nor reported to authorities concern.

 

They're always roaming out begging on the streets throughout the day and without shoes, wearing dirty and wet clothes. They said that they're begging for survival narrating that they're coming all the way from Gomari Costain! a far place to the place they usually beg

But.

The known journalist, Abdulmuminu Kolo Gulani put this questions forward, the questions are;

How can a responsible parent allow 6-7 years old children to feed themselves?

How do you think of their future as females? 

Must we marry to get children that we cannot cater for their needs? 

Is government aware of rampant begging in our community despite the IDP camps?

Is government aware of the beggars that ventured into begging and took it as occupation? 

Are ulema aware of begging profession in the Northern Nigeria?

Are we really aware that begging is forbidden according to the teaching of Islam?

What contributions are we giving to the vulnerable people? 

Are we really giving out our alms/zakat?

Is family planning forbidden? 

What roles government is playing in curbing the menace?

Can we say that this scar will never be faded in Northern Nigeria?

What roles are we playing as individuals in an efforts to eliminate this old system? 

This isn't the first time teenagers and children roam streets for begging, it was recorded that about 62% of begging is either by children or used children to do. But the deference between the rampant Almajiri begging is that they are girls, which are respected and cared more than male children in northern Nigeria.

In the last three weeks, the Borno state Government declared all sorts of begging and Hawking along the Maiduguri main road banned, this raises alarm on ending the inhuman child labor of begging and Almajiri begging in the north.