The fishermen of Jabi Lake

Isiyaka Ibrahim, 19, is one of the fishermen who rely on the Jabi Lake for their livelihood. Our correspondent spent a day with the young fisherman to observe what they find in the lake, from species of fish to car keys and phones. It is not uncommon to see boatmen paddling on the vast expanse […]

Isiyaka Ibrahim, 19, is one of the fishermen who rely on the Jabi Lake for their livelihood. Our correspondent spent a day with the young fisherman to observe what they find in the lake, from species of fish to car keys and phones.

It is not uncommon to see boatmen paddling on the vast expanse of the man-made Jabi Lake in the centre of Abuja. Some of these men are residents of a place called Fishermen Village, close to the lake and they have been making a living from the fish they catch on this lake for years. Sometimes they are contracted by visitors to the Jabi Lake Mall to help them fish out car keys and phones that accidentally fall into the water.

One of these men is 19-year-old Isiyaka Ibrahim, whose education is dependent on his catch on the lake because he gets his school fees from his sales.

“While growing up, my father asked me to join him to learn fishing as there is blessing in it,” Isiyaka told the Daily Trust.

His father, Mallam Ibrahim, a veteran in the trade and one of the elders in the fishermen community, has been in the business for over thirty years.

He used to work as a security man at Wuse Zone 1, where he also erected a trading post before the then FCT minister demolished it, forcing him to rely more on his fishing.

“Whenever my father went out, he carried me along,” Isiyaka said. “Gradually, I began to inculcate the habit of fishing and developed the interest.”

Though the returns from the business is little, Isiyaka said  he is committed to the trade to cater for himself and to support his education.

“We commit ourselves to this business because people also come to us in case of emergencies. Many times, at the Jabi Mall, visitors lose their phones, car key, wrist watch and other relevant items, it may fall in the water and they reach out to us to help them retrieve it,” he said.

Isiyaka attends school after which he resumes at the lake to make a living. He catches fishes and sells them to interested parties. On a very good day, he makes up to N3,000. On an average day he makes N1,000.

He uses N600 to buy bait for the fish. Because worms are slimy as baits and some people find them rather disgusting, Isiyaka said he prefers using alternative baits for his catch.

“The challenge is that we have to buy the food used on the bait to set traps. We sometimes get it at the cost of N600. We buy the wheat (tuwo), prepare it then use it on the bait,” he said.

Isiyaka uses hooks, lines, baits, nets, traps, waders and tackle boxes to catch fish.

“Now, I have my own canoe. I have my fish traps, but I narrow myself down to fish nets and cages,” he said.

Some of the species he catches often are catfish, tilapia, tiger fish, croaker fish, elephant fish and marine cat fish.

Isiyaka said the lakeshore is sometimes perilous as the tall grasses serve as hide out for crocodiles and snakes, although they don’t attack the community. Turtles have also been found on the shores, Isiyaka said.

Apart from the joy of finding these fish, Isiyaka has also caught celebrities in his net.

Kannywood stars have been known to frequent the lake, for a tour or to shoot videos. Sometimes they contract the fishermen to help move them around the lake.

“Celebrities come to us and we tour them on the lake, they also shoot their movies here. Kannywood artist who come all the way for shooting,” he said. “I wouldn’t have seen them otherwise,” he said.

For his father, Ibrahim Muhammad, it is important that his son took up the trade.

“I have been in [fishing] from childhood when we used to go to Islamic school, (Makarantar Allo). Then, we only went to while away time, not for business purpose. We normally catch what our parents will use to cook in the house and that’s all,” he said.

After his place of work was demolished, he took to fishing in communities like Madalla, Dei Dei and Kwa, where in three days he would earn more than what he was paid as a security guard in a month.

Another fisherman on the lake, Muhammad Muhammad, 45, started fishing from Kainji Dam across the Niger River in Niger State before moving  to Jabi lake.

He has been fishing for over 20 years and makes a minimum of N3,000 a day. On a good day, he could make that amount on a single fish.

At the end of the day, the fishermen retreat to the Fishermen’s Village, a small community of 300 people on the shores of lake. Most of the residents are fishermen, others engage in fish farming and sometimes lease out their fish ponds to interested fish farmers. It is also here that customers come to meet the likes of Isiyaka to buy the day’s catch.

One such buyer is Ibrahim Abdullahi, who serves as a middleman. In the last eight years, he has been in the business of buying fish from Isiyaka and the other fishermen to sell to customers in town.

According to Malam Abdullahi he makes at least N10,000, sometimes even double that.

“I also buy my fish from fish market because the fish here is not always promising due to the nature of the place. You can’t get sizeable fish quantity here during the dry season. So I mix both, from here and fish market,” he said.

Another regular customer at Fishermen Village who wished not to be named expressed her preference for fish caught from the lake.

“They are not like the fish you buy from ponds; their taste is different,” she said. “The fish I buy here is better and healthier, but sometimes they are scarce. Depending on the quantity, the price varies too,” she said.

Another fish seller, who sells fish on the roadside along the Jabi axis, Auwal (Sarkin Ruwa) said he has been in the business for about 10 years. He goes from river to river in search of greener pasture.

“I use this business to take care of myself, I buy food to eat, and I buy clothes from this business. We also have good days and bad days in the business,” he said.

“I get my fish from Jabi Lake, especially the cat fish which is mostly found here. On good days, we catch elephant fish, which we sell for about N10,000 for the big ones. However, we often catch them from Shiroro Dam too.”

“For the catfish, we sell each for N1,200 depending on the size. The catfish are not from the pond; we catch them in Jabi Lake,” he said.

The Fishermen’s Village is a largely organized community, with Issa Attahiru as its caretaker. He has been a resident for 28 years and in addition to fishing, oversee activities within the lake jurisdiction.

“I am the Imam here,” he said. “I take care of the children who come to the river bank to swim. Some of those boys who come to me, I teach them to swim because water is very delicate, you can’t leave them like that, they could go to a deep place and before you know it, they drown.”

According to Attahiru, he has had several encounters with crocodiles, mostly, in the wee hours when he comes out to observe the morning prayers, and sometimes at night too.

“When I come to perform ablution during the night time, I see alligators moving around the river bank, however there are lots of snakes around too. We can’t go near them, they are dangerous,” he said.

During carnival season, many people troop to the lake to participate or observe the boat regattas. At such times, the village gets a little excited. Otherwise, their routine is the same. A routine that suits the likes of Isiyaka Ibrahim and his dreams of an education.