Even with a northern guy this will keep up.
The problem stems initially from many players and factors.
The old (mostly northern) generals who ran the country into the ground, and looted everything out of it, the oil curse (dutch disease), the overpopulation of the north, and the Almajiri schools where impoverished undereducated northern families sent their impoverished, malnourished kids to beg for food, and read the Q'ran.
Another massive wildcard factor was the rapid Christianization of southern Nigeria from the 50s to now. The south went from a split of Christianity and indigenous traditional beliefs, to fully Christian with very vocal and powerful Evangelical element. Christianity in the south acts as a unifying source, swiping away old tribal allegiances. But it creates massive friction with the historically muslim north.
Then there's the North's slow decline into irrelevance. The south got richer, the north got poorer. Even though the rulers of Nigeria were mostly Northeners. The issue here is the rampant poverty in the north, fueled by some serious ignorance.
Muslims send their kids to Almajiri schools, which are free (state schools are not). There, they learn the Qran and beg. Pretty much all the kids who go to Almajiri schools come from large, dirt poor families. Muslims with means send their kids to real schools where they learn basics like math, and science.
The Almajiri kids aren't exactly broadening their horizons, between reading the Qran in a language they don't understand, to begging for a cup of rice to avoid starvation. You got dudes who were bankrolled by disgruntled northern politicians offering these youngsters food, shelter, and heaven. Everyone saw the Almajiri problem years ago when these kids were roaming the streets squatting, but no one did anything. No one is still doing anything. Now even if a Northerner wins, the murders will continue because this thing is out of the hands of the people who started it.
And if people think this will end just because a muslim is in power, remember that this started with President Yar'Adua still at the helm.
The problem stems initially from many players and factors.
The old (mostly northern) generals who ran the country into the ground, and looted everything out of it, the oil curse (dutch disease), the overpopulation of the north, and the Almajiri schools where impoverished undereducated northern families sent their impoverished, malnourished kids to beg for food, and read the Q'ran.
Another massive wildcard factor was the rapid Christianization of southern Nigeria from the 50s to now. The south went from a split of Christianity and indigenous traditional beliefs, to fully Christian with very vocal and powerful Evangelical element. Christianity in the south acts as a unifying source, swiping away old tribal allegiances. But it creates massive friction with the historically muslim north.
Then there's the North's slow decline into irrelevance. The south got richer, the north got poorer. Even though the rulers of Nigeria were mostly Northeners. The issue here is the rampant poverty in the north, fueled by some serious ignorance.
Muslims send their kids to Almajiri schools, which are free (state schools are not). There, they learn the Qran and beg. Pretty much all the kids who go to Almajiri schools come from large, dirt poor families. Muslims with means send their kids to real schools where they learn basics like math, and science.
The Almajiri kids aren't exactly broadening their horizons, between reading the Qran in a language they don't understand, to begging for a cup of rice to avoid starvation. You got dudes who were bankrolled by disgruntled northern politicians offering these youngsters food, shelter, and heaven. Everyone saw the Almajiri problem years ago when these kids were roaming the streets squatting, but no one did anything. No one is still doing anything. Now even if a Northerner wins, the murders will continue because this thing is out of the hands of the people who started it.
And if people think this will end just because a muslim is in power, remember that this started with President Yar'Adua still at the helm.