most of the southerners who have biases have never ventured away from their comfort zones. most just based their perception of the north from newspaper reports. it will surprise many to know that the igbos are all over the north, even on the islands of lake chad! they provide such essential services as plumbing, electrician, vulcanizers, patent medicine stores, etc. and they will never leave the north, division of nigeria or not. the yoruba is there too, and most have been assimilated into the regions they settled. the north has its problems, as the south has. so it is high time tribal bigots as well as religious bigots get over their prejudices, the better. if northern leaders missed developing the region, its because they were busy placating the southerners!

"Backwardness" is not only reserved to the north of nigeria!!!

While this is shocking and quite a surprise for those of us who have never heard of persons owning oil wells, it will be equally fair to see all the people who own these wells, be they from the north or south. As someone rightly pointed out, Indimi is from Borno while the others are from Niger state. We need to know what is going on in the north, to strategize on how to fight and demand for our rights from these thieves!!! HABA!!

Hello. I am just seeing this interesting debate between crayola and nagoma and have to say something. Crayola is right. I did some research on the foundations of western/colonial education in northern nigeria and i am familiar with the sources he cited. Nagoma, on the other hand is giving evidence on the realities on the ground and his arguments may also be right. The argument by nagoma is that crayola only read his sources (and although correct) but the sources do not reflect the realities on the spot, in the north as at present (21st century northern nigeria). As a northerner, nagoma can express the feelings of what he sees and hears without undergoing deep academic research and can be correct, but that can be subjective. He should go to the national archives kaduna and read the debates by colonial officers in their own writings.
History can set us all free if we study it. We always talk about peace and unity, but how can we achieve that if we de-emphasize the study of history in our schools? I am happy to read the postings of crayola. He seems to be a student of history.
Education in the north has been free from independence till the early nineties, up to the university level. The problem is the prejudice against it by the generality of the population in the Muslim north. The perceived supposition that it leads to the conversion of the muslims to christianity. Although, as nagoma rightly pointed out, that prejudice is slowly breaking down. The main problem is the lack of infrastructure, and willing teachers who will sacrifice to teach these children. Pupils can learn even under the tree if the rite stuff is taught to them. But the above reasons discourage pupils from going to school, because they just see it as waste of time.
On the almajiri issue, a lot of them are now enrolling in schools, especially if they get a sponsor. People are now openly talking against the system and parents are now becoming aware that it is no longer feasible in this modern age to be sending their children to Qur'anic schools. We, the northerners are encouraging people over here to adopt a few of them if they can, or at least sponsor one child.

What makes them think they are Chadians? The languages spoken in Chad are related to languages spoken in Borno. Maybe some of the arrested were speaking Shuwa Arabic, a language spoken in borno, and widely spoken in chad. It is the general or unofficial lingua franca of chad. And as someone rightly said above, kanembu too, is a language spoken in both borno and chad. For students of history, the kanem borno empire incorporated the whole of chad and some parts of Libya (Fezzan).    
The police should check it very well, before they bring on a diplomatic war, based purely on ignorance.

What about ASUU strike? When are they going to call it off? We are tired of seeing able bodied youths wasting away their lives at home with nothing to occupy them. FG should settle them abeg.

This is a progressive suggestion. It will reduce the power of the president and the executives and allow the states to develop the resources in their respective states. The clamour for do or die power will be reduced. Corruption will also reduce as people living in the respective states will not allow wastage of their resources.

Instead of us all to work out a solution to the boko haram problem, some of you are advocating the relocation of igbos to the south. Do you think that the south will not accomodate you all? The sum total of igbos in the whole north is more than the the total number of igbos living in igboland. Where will they all live, when they all relocate to igboland? Be realistic. Do you think the igbos in the north enjoy being targets all the time there is any riot? They have no option but to remain in the north!!!
Discuss with their leaders in the the north and find out the real situation before you make unnecessary calls for them to leave.
The important question is, WHAT DO WE DO TO SOLVE BOKO HARAM?

Yes i am a northerner and a muslim and it annoys and saddens me whenever i am sorrounded by the almajiri begging me. I meant in my earlier comment that with 60% of our youths begging in the streets in the north in the name of almajiri, how can the north survive in the modern world in 10 or 20 years to come? The states affected should wake up and solve this problem and not wait for the federal govt.
NABTEB should arrest any almajiri and their mallams, even their parents for sending them to these schools. Quaranic schools should be cited all over the places so that these children should go from their homes and schools should include other subjects such as english, maths, social studies, integreted science, etc. We should eradicate illiteracy by all means.

All the above arguments about the almajiri dilemma are correct. The northern governors should take responsibility for these kids, to enlighten their parents through the traditional rulers, to come out with a bill in their respective state assemblies making the almajirchi a crime, provide alternative educational facilities, etc. The almajiris are over 60% of children in the north NOT 25%!!. How can the north, with its abundant population in relation to south compete with the south? Imagine the north in 10 or 20 years to come. We will be completely swallowed by the south. In fact we can see it has already started.
The federal govt should hands off and allow state governments to take responsibility. A lot of the youth we have in the north today, who had some semblance of western education, were not fully educated because our state schools are virtually dead. What are state govt doing to revamp them? Certainly they were not elected to enrich themselves.

Why were they silent until now. The bokoharam sect have been operating in Maiduguri since the 1980s and what have they done to control it? What have the security agencies been doing to stop it all this while? Why is the govt now sending soldiers to curb it? How would they even know who is bh? The problem of bh is peculiar. It is religious, and as we all know it is the opium of the masses. What makes the lawmakers to believe that they will stop it if amnesty is given to them? The law makers should go back to their constituencies and dialogue with them. The bh are well known. People are afraid to point them out because the bh assassinate them. So the elders of borno, the politicians, the bosg, the shehu etc, should trace them and dialogue with them. Soldiers should leave.

We love Maiduguri and it will survive!!! The boko haram are not fighting civilians but the security forces esp the police for extrajudiciously killing their members. Nairalanders should study the genesis of the problems before passing ignorant comments.

if the man was from the north, the majority of reactions would havs been divide the country!! see what we endure from our so-called brothers from the south.

Thank Allah our muslim brothers and sisters are now waking up from their slumber. Please educate all these prejudiced, ignorant and hostile so-called xtians who do not want to see reason and assume that their world view is correct and the best.

All so myopic and jittery. If posted, just go. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO YOU. What about the southerners studying in the University of Maiduguri? Are they killed? Boko Haram has issues with the govt and are attaking govt security agencies. Since the deployment of soldiers to the state, nothing has been heard of the of the boko haram. It took the attack on the police h/q in Abuja to wake the security agencies up to their responsibilities. They should be cautioned of extrajudicial killings, though.

Borno or any other so called Boko Haram states have more then twenty local govts. Have you heard of violence in any town apart from maiduguri? Have you heard of any corp member killed? There is a university a cosmopolitan one for that matter in the whole of Nigeria there, have you heard of any student molested by Boko Haram there? Pls stop being sentimental and face facts. The northerners too, hear stories about the south since the inception of NYSC but they still go. Are you saying northerners do not die there, when God says its there time?