The Forgotten Refugees of Kaduna

The atmosphere was full of emotions. Hundreds of young boys, girls and adult men and women, displaced by the post 2011 presidential elections, thronged out to welcome their august visitor. Jubilations and thunderous chants of Allahu of Akbar (Allah is great) ensued as the emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmuminu Kabir Uthman, alighted from his car. […]

The atmosphere was full of emotions. Hundreds of young boys, girls and adult men and women, displaced by the post 2011 presidential elections, thronged out to welcome their august visitor. Jubilations and thunderous chants of Allahu of Akbar (Allah is great) ensued as the emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmuminu Kabir Uthman, alighted from his car. The obvious excitement was, perhaps, because of the fact that he was the first emir from the north to personally visit the Kaduna State Mando Hajj Camp, where the displaced persons are taking refuge.

However, the celebration was short-lived when Alhaji Uthman began to go round the camp to see for himself how the displaced persons were coping with life. The Katsina emir began shedding tears. He didn’t gave any reason for his tears at that moment but it was obvious that the deplorable condition of the refugees as well as the hundreds of orphans and widows that surrounded the emir were the possible cause of the emir’s tears. Alhaji Uthman later confirmed the assertion.

“I have never seen a terrible thing like this,” he said. “These little kids that surrounded me, most of whom without parents, can make any believer to shed tears. I really sympathise with you. To my own understanding, silence on such atrocities is aiding the escalation of continuous violence in Nigeria. I think it is high time when culprits of atrocities like the one that happened in Southern Kaduna are brought to book. Muslims and Christians are brothers; therefore anyone who is found to have killed the other should be punished, otherwise violence would continue to be with us. The condition I met these people is indeed disheartening. I wept seriously. To my knowledge, there was never a time when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) fought Christians and same thing applied to Christianity. Then why are we now killing ourselves in the name of religion.

“Christians and Muslims must live with one another in Nigeria and we must live peacefully. This is why I am calling on the government to fish out the perpetrators and make them to face the law. All perpetrators of other similar violence anywhere in the country must be punished,” Alhaji Uthman said.

However, the emir urged the displaced persons to regard what happened to them as an act of destiny. He urged them to focus on the future, especially how to pick up their lives again.

In order to encourage the displaced persons, Alhaji Uthman recalled an episode during his secondary school days at the Government Secondary School Malumfashi.

“I remember,” he said, “when we were in secondary school; there was a time we found ourselves in a very difficult situation, myself and late President Yar’adua. A teacher of ours then counselled us where he told us that we should be careful with our lives. He told us to work hard as among us there may be president and there may also be a king. Allah has made that counselling to metamorphose into reality because I am now the emir of Katsina, by Allah’s will, and late Yar’adua was president. This is why I want to encourage you to work hard. You should take what happened to you as a challenge. You should work hard as it is only Allah who knows what you would become in the future.”

The emir donated food and other items worth about N10m as his contribution to the upkeep of the refugees. He also apologised for not visiting the displaced persons until about 10-month after their predicament.

The spokesperson of the displaced persons, Alhaji Sani Uba, recapped the horrible situation that led to their settlement at the camp. It was an emotional talk that struck and weakened all present. He said that the victims of the post-election violence, who settled at the Hajj Camp, were left to their fate.

“Thousands of our people were killed. We are now living in a horrible condition. They are saying that we should go back to our places of origin. If you ask us to go back to Zonkwa, where do we go? All our houses, shops and even farmlands were destroyed. Anyone who claimed that Kaduna State government has given refugees from Zonkwa a penny is being economical with truth. Kaduna State government has not given Zonkwa refugees a penny. Of course, we received donations from well meaning Nigerians but not enough to reconstruct our houses. The government has once directed us to go to the Zangon Kataf local government to collect N6 million, but up to this moment the money has not been released, even if released, would that amount reconstruct our houses?.

“We are living in this place against our wishes because, as you can see, the condition here is a horrible one. If government would reconstruct our houses and put adequate security in place, we would gladly move back to Southern Kaduna. We just don’t understand what is happening in Nigeria. Recently, the victims of Madalla bomb blasts were fully compensated but we have been here for over 10 months and nobody cares about us. We would continue to depend on Allah as, we believe, it is our only way out,”

Alhaji Uba also said that the peace and reconciliation committee set up by the Yakowa government has not visited the displaced persons.

“This is why we are saying that these people have abandoned us. If there should be any attempt for reconciliation, we are the first people who are supposed to be contacted. In fact, there wouldn’t be any meaningful reconciliation without us. We are the direct victims of that crisis and therefore reconciliation should start with us,” Alhaji Uba said.

On the visit of the emir of Katsina, Alhaji Uba said all the displaced persons are grateful to the emir, if not for anything but for the fact that he was the first emir to visit the camp.

“Well, we have nothing to say than to thank the emir. For the about 10-month of being here, he is the first emir to personally visit the camp. Of course, you expect us to be happy. At least, he has given us a sense of belonging, while others disown us for a fault that is not ours. The gesture by the emir of Katsina would encourage us. But just imagine what the government people are saying. They are saying that they want reconciliation and peace but they would not rehabilitate our houses and provide adequate security for us to go back to our houses.

“Imagine a government that says it wants peace but cannot punish perpetrators of violence. It cannot guarantee security for Hausa/Fulani in Zonkwa and other areas of Southern Kaduna. If a government fails to do all these for its citizens, then which type of government is it,” Alhaji Uba said.

Another episode that raised emotions during the visit of the emir was the narration of a teenager on how he lost the whole of his family to the crisis. The teenager, Alhaji Musa Yaro, was found in the midst of corpses.

“They killed my father, sisters and brothers. They thought that I was dead, that was why they left me. I was found in midst of corpses and I was brought here and later taken to Dala Orthopaedic hospital in Kano. As you can see, one of my hands is not functioning. You can also see the scars of knife cuts on my head and other parts of my body. We thank you, Sir, for coming to see us. All we want is for the government to fully rehabilitate us. Somebody like me, where did they want me to go since I virtually have nobody now except Allah,” Yaro said.

A traditional ruler in Jama’a local government area of Kaduna State, Alhaji Sunusi Maikudi, Dan-Iyan-Jama’a, who was among those that received the emir of Katsina, said the visit of the emir to sympathise with the displaced persons was a welcomed development.

“The emir has shown a good example. This is how a leader should be. We know what these people are going through. Their condition is a horrible one and nobody seemed to bother. If not in Nigeria, how a government can allow over 3000 people who were sacked from their towns and villages to be on their own. They allowed these people in this condition because most of them are from a certain tribe and religion. We are their leaders and we would continue to fight for our rights. Kaduna State belongs to all of us and nobody should be above the law.

“Although the Kaduna State government is taking this issue for granted, they don’t know the implication of what they are doing. A government that pledged to be fair to all should not discriminate. What is happening to these people is a discrimination and a crime against humanity. Since the government is not ready to listen to us, we are taking legal actions, including filing a petition at ECOWAS court,” Dan-Iyan-Jama’a said.

Dan-Iyan-Jama’a described the peace and reconciliation committee set up by the state governor as an attempt to bury the massacre that took place in the Southern part of the state, which led to the displacement of the people presently living at the Mando Hajj Camp.

Dan-Iyan-Jama’a doubles as the spokesperson of the Matsirga Community, one of the towns sacked during the post election crisis.

“Members of the public may recall that 24 communities passed a vote of no confidence on the judicial commission of enquiry set up by the Yakowa’s government. Our position that the commission of enquiry was not constituted to unearth the truth that would aid the cause of justice to the victims of ethno-religious cleansing in Southern Kaduna is now openly and eminently vindicated because even the government that set up the committee have failed to make public the content of the report of the commission. And no white paper indicating government view on the report was released.

“It is unusual for government to jump all those procedures to constitute peace and reconciliation committee, which ordinarily supposed to be an implementation committee of its white paper. Among the members of the 60-man committee, there are those who are known to have contributed in the breach of peace in Kaduna State, like Zamani Lekwot who was tried and convicted before he was pardoned by the IBB administration. The massacre of our people in Southern Kaduna is unprecedented to be swept under the carpet,” Dan-Iyan-Jama’a said.

He also queried the constitution of a 14-member committee that would handle the proceeds that the state would receive from the removal of fuel subsidy. The Dan-Iyan-Jama’a said the committee only comprised members of the executive arm of the government excluding other arms as well as other important stakeholders.

Also speaking at the refugees’ camp, a prominent Islamic scholar in Kaduna, Sheikh Sunusi Khalil, said the action of the emir of Katsina has demonstrated that the emir is the only apparent-heir of the Sheikh Uthman Bn Fodio.

“Your action today has shown that you are the only heir of Dan Fodio. You are copying what your great grandparents did. I am saying this not because you are around but your actions, even before now, are clear manifestations of the ideals of Dan Fodio. We need to sympathise with these people not abandoned them. I am aware that some people are doing their best to assist these people but more need to be done. They are our brothers and sisters. If we help them, Allah would reward us. The most important help that we can give them is to rehabilitate them back to their houses. If government rehabilitate their houses and guarantee their security, then they would not have any reason of being here,” Sheikh Khalil said.

Dr Bashir Kurfi, a lecturer in the Business Administration Department of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, facilitated the visit of the emir to the Hajj Camp. He is among those who are helping in the upkeep of the displaced persons.

Dr Kurfi said at the refugees’ camp; “We brought you here, Your Highness, to see for yourself how these people are living. Many organisations are into this project of assisting these people on humanitarian grounds. We know what these people are going through and this is why we take it upon ourselves to be assisting them.”

The deplorable condition of the refugees has now made them to organise themselves. They have opened primary, secondary and adult education classes in the camp. Teachers among the displaced persons shoulder the responsibility of running the classes.

“We have no option,” Alhaji Uba said, “than to call the teachers among us to be training our children. As I said earlier, the government has completely neglected us. Therefore, we feel that our children should learn one or two things. Though the school is not formal but it is better than nothing. We also opened an adult education class for the women.”

On health issues, the story is the same. Out of the about 10 nurses drafted to the area by the Kaduna State government, it is only one that is left. She is the only one who handles all health related issues in the camp.

When Sunday Trust visited the camp, Malama Maimuna Nuhu Galadima, confirmed that she is the only health officer in the camp.

“I didn’t go because I was officially posted to work here. My superiors have not asked me to go. I can’t talk for others. I can only talk for myself, therefore, I don’t know why my colleagues left the camp,” Malama Maimuna said.

Our correspondent observed that most children in the Camp now hawk sugarcane, obviously to augment the incomes of their guardians. One of the women in the camp said the children have to hawk to get what to put on the table.

In an interview with journalists, the secretary to the Kaduna State Government (SSG), Lawal Sama’ila Abdullahi, said as per as the state government is concerned, the camp is closed.

“You can recall that we have done our best for them to make them settle in their places of choice. You also know what Dangote, especially, did for them. We are not saying that they must go back to where they come from but what they got is enough for them to look for places elsewhere to settle down. Despite that we are taking steps to ensure the right things are done and this is why we left them to continue to live at the camp,” Alhaji Abdullahi said.

While the over 2,000 refugees continue to live in deplorable condition, it is not clear if the government, corporate organisations or  individuals would assist them to realise their yearnings of going back to their places of origin. What the refugees know, for now, is that they arrived the camp on the 18th of April 2011; when they are leaving remains unknown.