On the road with violence ‘escapees’

No fewer than 44 Kebbi State indigenes narrowly escaped death. They told stories of agony, tribulations and tragedy that befell them as victims of ethnicity and religious crises. Malam Sa’idu Bala, aged 44 who normally goes to Benin, Edo State to sell onion, was among the Kebbi State indigenes who were on exodus from Benin-City  […]

No fewer than 44 Kebbi State indigenes narrowly escaped death. They told stories of agony, tribulations and tragedy that befell them as victims of ethnicity and religious crises.

Malam Sa’idu Bala, aged 44 who normally goes to Benin, Edo State to sell onion, was among the Kebbi State indigenes who were on exodus from Benin-City  trooping back home with heart breaking story from the imbroglio.

He said when the incident occurred, a mosque and two Islamic schools were set ablaze in the state. It was as a result of the continued attack on the Hausas that they were compelled to come to the conclusion that they were no longer   safe and their lives were in danger, so they decided to flee back home.

One of the returnees, Surumbai Faruku aged 26 who has been going to Benin for business for over six years, said he was there when the anti-fuel protests began on Monday and it was peaceful.  He noted that later the protest turned violent, adding that some miscreants got to the extent of entering the houses of individuals with the intent to steal.

Ahmadu Garba aged 40, a returnee who was in Benin when the incident occurred, told Wekly Trust that they were threatened by indigenes that they should leave the town or be killed. He said this was before the anti-fuel subsidy protest as they ignored the threats, but during the anti-subsidy protests, they and their mosque were attacked by some miscreants. He said the attackers went away with property belonging to the mosque and were about to set ablaze the praying mats.

The returnee told Weekly Trust that the following day Tuesday around 8:00am, the mob came fully armed with cutlasses and brandishing other weapons as well as waging war against various groups of Hausa communities. The mob told them that in the North, churches were being burnt, so as a reprisal, they began to attack mosques and Islamiyya schools at Hausa quarters in Benin. They start beating people found in the mosques and Islamiyya schools and snatched all they found  on them.

“As we were sitting down, a man severely beaten came  and told us that he was from Masallacin ‘Yan Chanji  which was destroyed.  In no time, a group of those miscreants appeared and began beating us.  They chased us away, because they were already armed, but we were not carrying anything,” Faruku said.

He told Weekly Trust that the situation became tough as different groups of miscreants came regularly and only to depart when security personnel came; reappearing as the security men left. Some of the returnees, Faruku said, went to the barrack to take refuge.

On seeing this nightmare, Bala said they were left with no option than to sneak away from the town. They hired a trailer to take them back to Jega, Kebbi State. He said over three trailers were filled with people who want to come to the North believing that when they arrived North they will be safe.

“Around 6:30pm we arrived Ibadan, we met some people protesting and burning tires. In an attempt to get away from the crowd, we attempted to go through bypass and wait a while for things to calm down.  A man met and cautioned us against the dangers we are prone to. He directed us to the Sarkin Hausawa who provided us relief assistance.”

The returnees recounted to Weekly Trust that it was on their way from Ibadan that they met groups of irate protesting youths who blocked the road.

They had to give each group money ranging between N200 and N250 to allow them to pass.  But the third group was said to be stubborn and denied them   passage even as they gave money and begged them.

One of the victims, Aliyu Sani aged 25 said they were asked to come out and severely tortured.

“We were humiliated, beaten, and ransacked. The miscreants went away with all our monies and handsets. They took three jerry cans of petrol in the trailer and poured it on our bodies. They also burnt our clothes and the rest of the items we already bought before the crisis erupted,” he said.

He said that the miscreants accused them of being members of the Boko Haram set and wanted to set them ablaze.

“He said we deserved to be burnt since we are members of Boko Haram.

We relentlessly beg them and denied that we are members of Boko Haram.

It took the intervention of the policemen loaded in 4 patrol vehicles including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the area before they stopped beating us,” Bala said.

He said they were taken to the police station and the officers therein searched and found nothing incriminating on them and realized that they are not members of Boko Haram. He maintained that the police asked them to stay for two days until the tension doused.

Bala told Weekly Trust that unfortunately, the following morning a newspaper was brought before the DPO that they were members of Boko Haram who bribed him to set them free. He said the Police Commissioner of the state, therefore, demanded that they should be brought before him for further investigation.

“We were paraded before him after inquiries and searches. The Commissioner equally confirmed that we do not have any link with members of Boko Haram,” Bala stated.

He said they were also interrogated by officers of the State Security Service who assisted them with some money to eat and continue the journey. “We were given letter as a means of identification en route our  way home,” he said.

Weekly Trust gathered that the 44 Kebbi State indigenes who were attacked in Ibadan are made up of 31 from Unguwar Madi,  11 from Gidiga town in Jega Local Government Area and two from Rafin Na Gindi in Maiyama Local Government.

Although, the Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Sa’idu Usman Dakingari promised to compensate them back their monies taken away, but at the time of filing this report, the victims told Weekly Trust that they were stilling waiting for the promise to be redeemed. They all agreed to return when normalcy is restored.