Journey to Northern Nigeria

I regret not believing the Medias report completely. After an arduous 2 days journey of travel, I finally made it to Shimei- my first destination in Northern Nigeria. The environment was very dry and dusty. Men and women hawked goods for survival while the presence of grazing cattle and sheep limited traffic flow along major road networks.

As I went to an ATM point to withdraw some cash, a mob of youths with guns and other fiery weapons raced along the major highway down to a police station where a suspected bandit was in custody. The sight of these scene sent shivery signals through me. Their intention of killing the suspect fell through because of the resistance of the enforcement agents.

After settling down at a temporary abode, great darkness accompanied by a sense of fear breezed as I settled down for a night rest. Gboooooom Kpaaaaaaaaaaa Tush Kpa- Kpa- Kpa- Sound woke me from sleep. This must be the announcement of the arrival of terrorist or bandits, I rhetorically asked? With tension around, thoughts of escape through the ceiling or into a new by bush came knocking but the fear of a stray bullet would not permit me to grant any. I got up in haste while my heartbeat increased to have a view of what went on. Police vehicles were already moving towards the direction to arrest the situation at hand. It was bandits who specialized in carting away livestock were the august visitors in town.

After picking up a vanguard newspaper, one is greeted with news like “Not fewer than eleven persons were reportedly killed in a fresh attack launched by armed bandits on nine villages of Kankara local government area in Katsina State.

This was as angry residents in the area staged a protest with corpse of persons killed barricading for hours major highway linking to major parts of the state (the state capital and the southern part (Funtua axis). Information gathered by our correspondent revealed that the bandits stormed the area by 5pm on Saturday evening and launched the attack on the villages.

Villages attacked include Pauwa, Katoge, Danhayi, Gidan Guge, Kaurawa, Jan Bago, Kadanya, Gidan Kwaki and Lambar Kantoma. Locals said the eleven persons killed – eight (8) and three (3) in Katoge and Yar kuka villages respectively. It was gathered that the protesters took the corpse to the palace of Sarkin Pauwan Katsina, Alhaji Yusuf Lawal and later to the Chairman of Kankara local government area, Hon. Anas Isah Kankara upon which they pleaded with the persons who succumb to the plea and funeral prayer was observed on the corpse and buried. It was also gathered that the residents repelled the attack of the bandit in another village where they succeeded in killing two of the bandits. Travellers stranded for hours

The protest by the angry residents who barricaded the roads for hours also left commuters traveling along the route stranded as a result of a traffic jam. It took the intervention of security personnel to restore calm and open up the road while others diverted to take another route. Information gathered by our correspondent also revealed that the Internally Displaced Persons camp in the area have been overcrowded with persons who stormed the camp to seek refuge. Meanwhile, the Katsina State Police Command is yet to make any official comments on the development as effort to get the Commands spokesperson, SP Gambo Isah comment on the incidence proved abortive.”

My quest to learn more about the region drew me close to a man named Bashiru. He narrated an incident about how a female suicide bomber nearly killed him. While Muslim were purifying themselves in preparation for the Friday prayers, a beautiful teenage woman with explosives was trying to gain entrance into a mosque, capable of accommodating 100 persons. Her suspicious movement made him to get closer to the scene. While interrogating her, he held her hand only to discover she had a detonator in her fist. He overpowered her and disconnected the explosive before handing her over to security operatives.

During a chat with an indigene, he had this to say, “The security situation is not pleasant. Everyone is worried about the security of his or her lives and properties. At the blast of a bomb, even animals like dog can clearly distinguish if it was a firework or an explosive. People especially the men now spend their nights on trees and in the bush like monkeys for fear of terrorist and kidnappers.”

Towards the end of my stay, a man was kidnapped while working on his farm. His abductors demanded for a ransom of over a million naira for his release. After series of negotiation and prayers to God, he was finally released back to his family.

The security situation has affected every sector of the economy from agriculture to education and healthcare. Many a school have closed down due to fear of bokoharan attack. Educators are no more willing to go to these areas for fear of their life. Students are discoursed from going to school because they do not know what will happen next while in their classes.

Due to the security situation, some hospitals and healthcare centres is abandoned. People now take long trips to major towns and cities before receiving healthcare.

Farmers now abandon their lands to fallow for fear of been kidnapped or killed. This has caused a fall in the food production of the region.

It is very common for terrorist and bandits to make use of motorcycle as a means of mobility. This prompted the government to place a ban on its usage and regulate their operation period from 6am to 7pm.

As a measure to ensure self-security, youths, men and women are now in the habit of moving around with knives, machetes and other weapons of protection. People avoid staying out late while security guards called “Yankara” have been empowered by local authorities to assist in securing communities. Many of the guards resort to spiritual protection like charms and concoctions in order to escape bullet attack.

After my experience, I now agree with Medias report about the security situation in Northern Nigeria.