Kano At A Standstill Two Weeks After Boko Haram Fire

The bombings were alien to residents as it was the first time many hard the sounds of bomb blast and could even see from far away the targeted police stations and SSS office, how black smokes billowed the atmosphere. Ever since the Friday multiple blasts, every little sound triggered panic and anxiety among residents. The […]

The bombings were alien to residents as it was the first time many hard the sounds of bomb blast and could even see from far away the targeted police stations and SSS office, how black smokes billowed the atmosphere. Ever since the Friday multiple blasts, every little sound triggered panic and anxiety among residents.

The aftermath of the explosions led to collapse of almost all activities in Kano as the first step taken by government was to impose a 24-hour curfew. Everything in the city was brought to a standstill, though for just a day, but the impact was severe. Some residents recalled the experience and had different amazing stories to tell.

Aisha Mohammed of Na’ibawa area said it was really terrible as she didn’t have food in stock and, therefore, had to rely on neighbours: “Even though it is understandable that the 24-hour curfew imposed by the state government was necessary, following the bombings, people suffered it heavily. For instance, my case was so pathetic.  I stay with my three kids here in Kano, while my husband stays in Abuja, and unfortunately, we didn’t have any food in the house when the bombings took place and the curfew put in place. I had to beg my neighbours for food because the children couldn’t withstand the hunger. They were crying of hunger,” said Aisha.

Another resident, Auwal Imam of Sabon Titi, narrated his experience of the explosions. “The attackers were young men of just 20 years and below. I was upstairs when the first bomb, at Zone 1 exploded. Following the bang and hazy black smoke that clouded the firmament, the house was shaken and some of the electric bulbs bursted; window glasses cracked”.

The curfew was relax from 24 hours to 13 hours – 7.00pm to 6.00 am  – but still what is experienced are short days, as better part of the day is spent at checkpoints.

Barely four days after the multiple attacks, another blast destroyed the Sheka police station, bringing the number of bombed police stations to four while infrequent gunfire was heard around Bompai, where the state police headquarters is located. This situation has led to additional fears among residents.

A number of explosives laden vehicles have also been recovered after the violence. The explosives were locally made cans of drinks and cigarette filters, alongside other items like kerosene stove, old electricity metres and electric wires, among others.

Eyewitness accounts that the attackers camouflaged in security uniforms and raided Bompai police barracks put people in doubt, as to if all men seen in uniforms were real securities. “We are put in real confusion now, as we don’t even know who the real security agents are, since we heard that men in uniform stormed Bompai police barracks, killing everyone and leaving behind only women and children,” said Malam Abubakar Yusuf, a resident of Ungwar Uku, where the bombed Yar Akwa police station is situated.

Unlike the usually busy Kano city, streets are now deserted as from the 6.00pm curfew time, as people tend to be very conscious in fear that the aggrieved security men could molest them if found roaming anytime after that hour.

Apart from the curfew, another immediate measure taken by the authorities after the blasts was the deployment of security agents under the Joint Task Force to streets within and outside the city, where checks are conducted, especially on streets where police stations are located. Despite the importance of security in the city at the moment, residents are complaining of the way some security agents are extorting money from motorists, particularly commercial ones. Motorists complain that the security checkpoints mounted on major streets in city were operating like toll gates where motorists pay a fee before passing.

A more devastating impact is on the economy. Business activities in Kano are crumbling, following the bomb blasts that rocked the city. People conducting businesses near police stations and those that sell at night have all closed their shops because of the explosion. Apart from this group, even people who conduct businesses at the city’s major markets are crying over lack of patronage due to the decline in the number of people entering into Kano from other parts of the country to purchase goods.  Many traders are avoiding Kano because of security risk.

Investigation by Sunday Trust revealed that people conducting businesses close to police stations are forced to close shop because of the roadblock mounted by the police. Both buyers and sellers of goods have been denied access to shops. As for people conducting businesses at night, they are also forced to lock up their shop is because of the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed by government.

Apart from the closure of shops and low patronage, there is also scarcity of some commodities in the market. Checks by Sunday Trust revealed how some items, such as canned  food and other food garnishing items have become scarce because the companies that are producing the items have closed shop due to the death of some of their staff in the bomb explosions.

Abubakar Ibrahim, who owns a shop along Sabon Titi Street in the Kano metropolis, said he was forced to close his shop because of the total blockade of the area by the police, “I have to close my shop because the police have blocked all roads leading to the shop,” he said.

Ibrahim described the bomb blasts as unfortunate, saying he was praying fervently to God to alleviate the peoples predicament, as according to him, if things continue in this manner, the hardship would be devastating.

A tea seller in Sani Mai Nagge quarters in Gwale Local Government Area, Malam Sabo Ali, said he has suspended his night business because of the curfew:  “I cannot sell tea in the night now because of the curfew. This is bad because as a petty trader, it will have negative impact on my business.”

Another trader in Kwari market, Malam Hafiz Umar, said he was suspecting that the attack was aimed at destabilizing all businesses in Kano: “We see this attack as a calculated attack to destroy business activities in the city but by the grace of God they will not succeed.”  He noted that sales had dropped drastically in Kano markets because, according to him, few people come to Kano now for business.

Further investigations by Sunday Trust showed that even those who are selling their wares on credit have also suspended it because of apprehension. A buyer who was affected told our correspondent that he had bought a TV set from an electronic merchant on the agreement that he would be paying in bits for a period of three months, but had his cheques returned to him on the grounds that such agreement was suspended because of the current instability in the state.  He said the man just handed his signed cheques and the agreement  to him, saying  he could not continue with the deal as he was not sure about the way things were going on in Kano.

Sunday Trust observed that most traders are engaged in prayers seeking for God’s intervention. They expressed fear, in their discussions, but also prayed that the calamity would not turn Kano into a ghost city.

Another area that is affected is the banks. Almost all banks in Kano are yet to resume full operations, two weeks after the attacks. Some of them are offering skeletal services, mostly from 11am to 2pm. This development is causing untold hardship on Kano people. Customers are given numbers and made to line up outside bank premises. They are allowed into the banking hall only when their numbers are called.  Reports from the banks say they could not resume full operation because of lack of security at the banks. There are no policemen around to provide security to the banks.

A customer in one of the banks, Malam Bashir Muhammad, who told these reporters of his ordeal, said he was in the bank to register for his sister’s WAEC and NECO exams, but after spending over two hours queuing up, he was told to leave the premises because the bank was being closed. “I waited at the bank for almost two hours only to be told that they were closing the bank for the day around 2pm.”

Most disturbing to residents of Kano is the way security agents are harassing them.  Motorcyclists are forced to disembark some meters to the checkpoints and start pushing until they pass police checkpoints. And, in what looks like another form of intimidation, the riders are further forced to raise their hands up and push the vehicle with the other hand.

A private rider, Shamsu Lawal, said the police action was unnecessary, as according to him, it was just aimed at increasing peoples’ hardships, not to get at the Boko Haram members.  “I cannot see the wisdom behind making us to push our bikes and raise our hands again. This is just to add more hardship on the civilians because they cannot get at Boko Haram through this method,” he said.

There are various reported incidences of police brutalities and soldiers maltreating people they find on the street at the expiration of the curfew period. For instance, some doctors working with the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano were ordered at a police checkpoint, to disembark from their ambulance and engage in frog jump. At a Mariri checkpoint, some passersby were seen being made to lie on the ground and face the scorching sun. At different checkpoints, motorcycle riders, whether commercial or private, are indiscriminately made to dismount and walk long distances, dragging their motorcycles.

Malam Aliyu Sani is a commercial bus driver.  He said, “The security men are only molesting and harassing people at the check points, while they extort money from us, commercial motorist. We are made to pay a compulsory fee of N50 before we are allowed to pass,  else we will be punished,”  he said.

Another commercial driver, Malam Aminu Musa said, “At the rate things are going at the check points, even if one is carrying explosives, he can simply buy his way with N50 only, and this is really unfortunate. One could simply say the checkpoints are simply money-making avenues for security operatives.”

Not just commercial drivers, but residents also complain of the way people are being harassed and maltreated by security. A resident, Mohammed Ali, who spoke to our reporter said, “The painful thing is, while they are there to protect lives and property, they transfer their aggression for the attack is by the Boko Haram on civilians.

“And if anything, everyone is affected by the situation. During the blasts, more civilians were killed and many were injured, so it is not just a police issue. The police should remember that harassing people will only prevent them from feeding police with useful information. It will also create more hatred for the force.”

However, when contacted on the issue, the police spokesperson in Kano, Magaji Musa Majiya, a Superintendent of Police, said the police will take disciplinary action against anyone found extorting money from people, saying the force will not condone any act of corruption or indiscipline.

Musa, who spoke on phone, further advised that residents should report to the state police command any act of molestation or corruption by the police, using police emergency numbers.

Following the attack, people are now compelled to resolve conflicts by themselves or by consulting ward heads because, according to reports, police are yet to start receiving cases from people. A source said whenever an aggrieved person goes to the police with a case, he would be asked to go and sort it out or meet their ward heads to do so.

On the curfew imposed by the State government, a cross-section of people interviewed  see the measure as a means of keeping the people in fear and hardship. Their argument is that the Boko Haram fighters have been carrying out attacks during the day time, not at night. “I wonder why the curfew is still in force in Kano. If they are imposing it because of the Boko Haram, these people do not attack at night; they attacked during the day time, so why keep us in bondage, denying us means of earning our living in the night,” queried a resident, Mahmud Adams.

He further noted that even during the day time people were finding it difficult to do any gainful ventures because of many checkpoints mounted by the police..

The situation has also affected academic activities in the city as most schools, both public and private, have rescheduled their lesson periods.    Many secondary schools, before the attacks, closed by 5.00 pm, but they have now rescheduled their closing time to 2.00 pm, Sunday Trust learnt. Some schools don’t even operate on Fridays since the bombings occurred.

On this, a principal of one of the public schools, who spoke on the basis of anonymity, said, “it is necessary that we reschedule the time in order to be security conscious, owing to the situation and also abide by the curfew time which starts at six”.

On how he thinks this will affect the performance of the students, the principal said, “we will do our best within the limited time to give our best and also encourage the students to work harder so as to meet up with their mates in other parts of the country.”

The reason given by private schools is also not different. A proprietor with one of the private schools in Na’ibawa spoke to our reporter on the situation, saying, “it is normal that anytime a riot or any unrest is taking place in Kano, people feel Friday is the best time for that and if you remember, even the bomb that exploded in the state capital was on Friday.

“That was why we felt it was safer for us not to open school on Fridays until the security situation is improved. We know that no parent will compromise the safety of his ward and so also the school will not compromise on safety in the quest to maintain standard.  When the security situation is improved we will restore full operations,” said the proprietor.

Some parents that expressed their minds also said they were not at peace anytime their children left for school since the day of the blasts. “As a parent, I don’t feel comfortable anymore whenever my children leave the house for school or elsewhere, because no one is sure of safety any longer,” said Hussaina Abubakar, a mother.

Another parent, Maryam Usman said, “What I saw on the day of the blasts was enough lessons for me to be careful of where and how my children move about. The issue is, no one can tell when or where the attack will happen, and even if your child is not the target, anything can happen. A child could be a victim of stray bullets or fall victim of the blasts. We know school is the best place any child could be, but their safety first. I will certainly not allow my wards to go to school any day I hear any news about such attacks because anything can happen,” she said.

Furthermore, people residing near police stations have relocated to safer areas for fear of attacks from the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

But importantly are the prayer sessions that are being organised by the state government, the Kano State Emirate Council, churches and different groups in the state, seeking for divine intervention.