IN the history of Plateau State, one of its darkest days is September 7th 2001. This was a day a once peaceful people’s feathers were ruffled and what turned out was beyond everybody’s wildest imagination.
In war, it is said, everybody loses in one way or the other. The loss could be economically, psychologically, human wise, lost of trust replaced with suspicions and of course, relationships become strained. Plateau passed through and is still passing through all these.
It all started like a joke. A simple argument between a Christian girl and Moslems who were at their Jumat prayers that fateful Friday afternoon. This was the genesis of the bloodbath which began at Congo -Russia.
Most of us thought it was just a little misunderstanding that would be resolved by the end of the day. Little did we know that it would be given different colourations that would make the misunderstanding assume dangerous dimensions.
Within minutes, lives of so many people were ended by those who didn’t know the purpose of the fight nor how it began. All they knew was that they were fighting for God/Allah.
Lovers of the market like me were caught up in the market- Terminus. I had with me, my 2 boys- ages 3 and one. And we had come to visit their grandmother who was absent. It was while we were there that we noticed the commotion in town. In confusion, some shop owners left their shop open and ran for their lives. Traders also left their wares in disarray and ran for safety. Some thieves had a field day.
It was so unfortunate that in fear and confusion, some people ran into the wrong hands and met their death. These were those who ran blindly without asking questions. Others trustingly ran to a neighbour who now looked at them with the eyes of religion. Seeing them as enemies due to the difference in religion, he turned on them and ended their lives.
It was the first time I heard the adage: zama da kaza baya hana yanka. A Hausa adage that implies that living with a chicken doesn’t stop the owner from slaughtering it. Neighbours who had hitherto lived in peace for decades, suddenly turned on each other on the basis of religion. Their ancestors had lived together in peace for centuries and they had mutual love and respect for each other. At the blink of an eye, all they felt was mutual hatred and suspicions.
At areas like Ali ka Zaure, the fashion of attack was ‘do me, I do you. If a Christian house was burnt by Moslem boys, the Christian boys would avenge by burning a Moslem house closest to it. That way, so many resources were wasted.
A particular widow escaped being burnt alive with just a wrapper on her chest. She was taking her bath when she started perceiving the smell of burning objects. She peeped and saw her passage all in flames. It was sheer courage that made her to go back and get a towel to cover her nakedness.
As I was saying, I was in town with my kids. I had to hurry back home when I thought everything had calmed down. However, that night was something else. For those of us who were the minority in our neighbourhood, ( I was living in Rikkos), sleep became a thing of the past.
Gun shots filled the air on every direction during the night. My heart hurt so much because I knew what that meant. Shouts of anguish filled the midnight air. It was the longest night I had endured in my life. By morning, the Christians in Nasarawa Gwom axis moved to NDLEA which was the headquarters of Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency. It is an imposing building which was furnished with NDLEA officers providing security to hundreds of people who had turned it to a refugee camp. By afternoon of the 8th September, more families from the inner parts of Rikkos also sought for safety at NDLEA.
Death toll was on the increase even though government had imposed dawn to dusk curfew. We were told that several dead bodies were washed to the shores of many rivers like the bridge that linked Nasarawa Gwom and Rikkos. One never verified these stories.
However, one met a woman whose husband and teenage boys pushed out the window and handed her their toddler just before they were burnt in fire in their house in Rikkos.
Another pathetic story was that of a mother who was a student of University of Jos. She was in school when the crisis started and because of the nature of their area, she was unable to go back home to her baby who was under the care of a 15 year old girl. The baby was being fed exclusively with because it was only about 3 months.
The mother had to wait for 2 days until security was beefed up in Angwan Rogo before she was escorted home by security men. This mother got the shock of her life when she found her baby and the little girl safe and sound. They were the only ones still remaining in what remained of the compound that accommodated about 20 students. Miraculously, the baby who used to cry too much was calm all the while the mother was separated from it even though without food.
I remember the hunger children crying and parents confused because even if you had money, where would you get food to buy? Garri and sugar was so much respected then.
September 11 is also memorable to me. I had cooked food that served so many people who came over from NDLEA. About noon, a storm was threatening, so I wanted to seize the opportunity to sleep. I had missed a good sleep since the crisis began. But just as I was about to sleep, my husband warned me that have I not learned from films that during war, the enemy usually attacks during a storm.
As if on cue, we heard my husband’s friend coming in from our gate and urgently calling out to us to get ourselves out of the house to NDLEA because Rikkos was under attack. Grapping cardigans for my kids, I picked my youngest boy while my husband’s friend took my eldest son and took off to NDLEA. My husband locked up and followed us.
By the time we entered the camp, so many of us were rushing in at the same time. It was there that we discovered that the Miango people were the target and a few of them lost their lives.
That night, we spent it in the open in the compound of NDLEA. The men had to help in securing the place too. Thank God, it didn’t rain. Due to our number, in no time the place was smelling of excrement and urine. Air pollution became the order of the day. That night as we sat around with our little ones, we heard the story of America’s 9/11. It felt like the end had come.
After what seemed like forever, security was again beefed up by the central government. We were told that it was okay to resume our normal lives. Some traders took government’s word to heart and paid with their lives. These included hawkers of foods and fruits- yam sellers, cobblers, even commercial transporters- okada riders were victims. With each death, reprisals followed. That was apart from silent killings.We were hopeless as it seemed there was no hope in sight. Both religions, Christians and Muslims resorted to prayers even as some of them preached against violence, and embracing peace.
Some notable sign when the markets were opened was that suspicions reigned supreme. Christians refused to patronise Muslims likewise Muslims. Rumours making the rounds did not help. It was circulated that butchers and fruit sellers which were mostly Muslims had planned to poison their wares to kill Christians. We believed and swallowed it hook, line and sinker. We didn’t stop to ask if they would separate the one they sold to Muslims from that to be sold to Christians.
So many NGOs came to life to heal our wounds and unite us again but it seemed there will always be ‘buts’. At the slightest provocation, one hears- an fara. (it has begun) referring to the crisis. God alone will help us.
Every bad thing has a good side. As a result of crises, many areas have developed. Even areas that we used to think we’re top far are now developing. People who lost their houses in the crisis, instead of leaking their wounds, they bought lands in safe areas ( as far as their religion is concerned). There are now more proud owners of houses than ever before.
Our prayer today for Plateau State is tolerance, love for one another which will enable us to forgive each. Let God’s word lead us- pursue peace earnestly.
