Gone without a goodbye

Similarly,  in equal measure, her compassion knew neither tribe, creed nor status as her friends spanned all boundaries. On June 5, the tributes, testimonies and array of mourners, a day after her demise, attested to her friendship without borders and from St Gerrard’s hospital, to Umar Khattab mosque, up to Bachama Road cemetery, the mourners […]

Similarly,  in equal measure, her compassion knew neither tribe, creed nor status as her friends spanned all boundaries. On June 5, the tributes, testimonies and array of mourners, a day after her demise, attested to her friendship without borders and from St Gerrard’s hospital, to Umar Khattab mosque, up to Bachama Road cemetery, the mourners were both pan-Nigerian and inter-religious.

Hale and hearty, Zainab left Abuja on June  4 to visit Aisha, her twin sister as well as other relatives in Kaduna. Incidentally, three days earlier, she told me of the trip and we spent over five minutes on the phone, asking about family, mutual friends and acquaintances. Specifically, she promised “to drop by the office” when she arrives Kaduna.

At 7.40 pm, Umar Abubakar, a colleague in the accounts department, phoned me on my way to Unguwar Shanu to see my mum. Zainab, he told me, has had an accident along Abuja road and she was at St Gerards hospital. Quickly, I headed for Kakuri but death was the last thing on my mind. However, five minutes later, Malam Mannir Dan Ali, my editor-in-chief, called and broke the news. I screamed and stepped on the gas, hoping against hope, trying not to believe what I had heard. At the hospital, after several enquiries, I located the ward and Aisha, upon seeing me, burst into tears and she confirmed my fears.

One by one, I called the editor-in-chief, Malam Ishaq Ajibola, the Managing Director and Aliyu Shehu Ibrahim, our common friend as well as Umoru Faruk Salifu, her colleague at Weekly Trust. Similarly, I called other friends, including Abdulkareem Baba Aminu, the editor of this newspaper, confirming what they had already heard. Aliyu, Faruk and Hajiya Jamila Garba, a colleague in FRCN, met me in the hospital  and before long,  the sad news had spread and owing to several calls, my phone’s battery ran down.

The next day, from far and near, colleagues, friends and relatives trooped to Umar Khattab mosque for the janaíza prayer. Specifically, Alhaji Rabiu Garba and Alhaji Shuabu Abdullahi, directors of Media Trust Limited, arrived as early as 7am, as did Malam Mohammed Haruna, former Managing Director of New Nigerian Newspapers and a columnist with Daily Trust. The MD and his wife, the deceased’s cousin, arrived a few minutes to the janaíza prayer as well as Dafe, a colleague, and the Kperogi’s flat mate in Abuja, including Nasir Lawal Abubakar and  Zainab Okino. Similarly,  Yusuf Jidda, Jamila Yusuf, Rahmatu Adio and Halima Abdullahi, staff of Kaduna bureau, came to pay their last respects.

At the cemetery, the gristly details of the accident, how it happened, the rescue operation and efforts of good Samaritans, were told by Mohammed Filani, an eye witness. The accident, according to him, occurred around  2.20pm as Friday prayers had just been said and worshippers were dispersing from the Mosque.

Apparently, Zainab had lost control and ran into a stationary trailer at Rijana and other motorists, including the villagers, battled for two hours to save her life. Sinani, the eldest daughter, alighted from the car immediately after the accident but Maryam and Adam,  he narrated,  were extricated from the back seat.  A metal, on the other hand, had split her half-sister Tobi’s head and she died instantly.  Zainab, by Filani’s account, was alive and conscious but her arms were mangled and for a long time, help only came in  trickles. Slowly, life seeped out of the deceased as the rescue was going on. The agony, helplessness and death by instalments are better forgotten than imagined.

At last, her corpse was pulled out and in a convoy, Rep Yakubu Barde and other motorists went to St Gerrads hospital and the legislator, according to Filani, picked the hospital bill. Thereafter, one thing led to the other and the office was contacted. On June 5, a day after her death, Zainab was interred in Kaduna but her good deeds live after her, judging from the rivers of tributes. For Farooq, her beloved husband, Sinani, Maryam and Adam, her priceless gems, her death  is a personal loss, as it is for several others.

Specifically, I first met Zainab in 1994, when she came to Hotline, a Kaduna-based newsmagazine and immediately,  we warmed up to each other and Zanaib, Aliyu Shehu, our editor  and I bonded well. In between work, our discussions were wide and varied and through these interactions, we knew each other better, the challenges of life, the polygamous nature of our families and  her late father whom she was fond of. Specifically, she disliked polygamy and she recalled  how  her father’s wealth, after his demise, was shared  out by other siblings, excluding she and her sister.

However, Zainab was deeply religious and seldom missed her salat and on that score, we had crossed swords.  At lunch time, instead of eating out, Zainab  came with her own food  as she was choosy in everything, ranging from friends and cuisine. Most times, after going to mama put, I usually  savoured her gourmet’s delight  for Zainab was a good cook. Severally, before  marrying, I had gone to  their Kabala shooting range residence for either lunch or dinner.

Thereafter, we left for greener pastures as I relocated to The Sentinel, a Kaduna-based weekly while she pitched tent at Abuja Building Society(ABS), a Kaduna based mortgage firm.  Our relationship, in spite this, never wavered and we still kept in touch, agonising over career and family. Ironically, ABS and the magazine, as if by coincidence, fell on hard times and Zainab and I lost our jobs but our unemployment didn’t last long. Dr Abubakar Rasheed, as he then was, was the Managing Director of New Nigeria and on Mahmud Jega’s recommendation, he employed me in 1996 and Zainab also got engaged elsewhere. In 1998, Aliyu and Muhammad Hassan Tom, my brother and ex editor of Hotline, ventured into publishing and Zainab joined them at Just magazine. Afterwards, she quit for Weekly Trust and for 10 years, rising to an Assistant Editor.

Through Zainab, I met other “trusters”, including Farooq Kperogi, who later married her,  Zainab Okino, he best friend and  Ismail Omipidan, now of The Sun newspaper. Arguing, disagreeing and finding common ground,  Trust’s Alkali road office in Kaduna was like Campus Square and Zainab  held on to her views, passionate about mis-governance and issues of probity. Farooq, at one point, wanted to head-hunt me for Trust but I declined, arguing that I had no reason to leave the New Nigerian. However, in 2007, I decided to move on and I sounded  Zainab out on my career move. Naturally, she welcomed to the idea and on August 19, Auwallu and I arrived Media Trust Limited. Malam Jibrin Abubakar, on the editor’s say so, took us round the company, introducing us to all and sundry and at the line editors’ office, Zainab was squinting at a computer screen when we entered and upon seeing us, she screamed my name, got me a table and chair and rekindled our friendship.

Within weeks, she had taken round town, introduced me to Dafe,  Abdulkareem Baba Aminu, Hajiya Jamila Nuhu Musa and other colleagues. In addition, she took to her home,  Mrs Okolo’s restaurant, other eateries and picked the bills, arguing that I had not received my first salary.  Similarly, in my search for an apartment, Zainab linked me up with several housing agents, drove me to nooks and crannies to meet them. Finally, we found one at Gwarimpa, close to her abode  and she  helped in the haggling of rent and settling down. For about one year, I shuttled from Abuja to Kaduna every weekend and week-in week-out, Zainab sent money to friends, neighbours and acquaintances through me. When I transferred to Kaduna, the dole kept coming from Zainab to the needy and at a point, I nick-named her Bob Geldoff, after the philanthropic rock star!

Her death, according to Farooq, has redefined his views on life and for me, Zainab’s exit has reinforced how I live, working as if  there will be no tomorrow and  worshipping as if the end will be tomorrow. Fare thee well Mrs Zainab Taiwo Musa Kperogi, my friend, sister and confidant. May Allah grant you eternal rest till we meet to depart no more.