Kaduna mayhem: Victims recount their ordeals

The recent Kaduna violence did not only turn the state to hell, but also created apathy amongst the Northern and Southern Kaduna, leading to scores of death in the state. The state that was recently crippled by violence was said to have lost more than 73 lives to the violence. In this segment, our correspondent reports some eye witness account on the violence that saw many people to their grave. On his hospital bed at the St. Gerard Catholic Hospital, an immigrant from Niger Republic, 26-year-old Suleiman Mani, who cuts firewood for a living, narrates his experience during the battle. He said he was cutting firewood for one of his customers at Narayi when the people around the
area asked him to leave due to the rumour making the air about the attacks going on the state. “As I was running away, I saw two people on a bike carrying machetes and sticks. They attempted to hit me with the stick, but I managed to dodge them. They then got down from the bike and pursued me. They caught up with me and attacked me with the machete. I wanted to run back to Narayi, but they continued to assault me until I fell down. “They wanted to severe my head, but the machete landed on my hand as I tried to protect myself. They carried a big stone and wanted to hit my head, but somehow, they ran away, perhaps in pursuit of another victim. Later, one woman who was also my customer helped me to the hospital.” Another victim, John Arinze, 23, narrated how he was attacked on his way to Abuja by some youth who attacked him along the bypass way. He narrated how the Sarki (leader) saved him and handed him over to the soldiers on patrol. “There were Hausa boys who blocked the road around that area. They were carrying knives and machetes. They stopped me and pulled me out of the car and beat me. They wanted to kill me; then, their Sarki intervened and ferried me away from the scene of violence. He handed me over to soldiers who were passing by and they brought me to the hospital.” Another man who escaped death in the whisker was Yahaya Dahiru, 27, a commercial motorcycle operator who was attacked at when he went to drop a passenger at Sambo Tasha. “Immediately my passenger disembarked, I made a U-turn, and then I saw some people ordering motorbike riders to stop. They stopped many of us and asked us to lie down. They started beating us and smashing blocks on every part of our bodies. “They said they would kill us because Boko Haram was killing their people. They told us that Boko Haram had been bombing them and therefore, they would retaliate by killing all Muslims. They beat me so much that I became unconscious. I don’t even know how I got here.” Yahaya Usman, a Christian from Kogi State, also fell victim of the attack at Trikaniya area. He narrated thus, “My son had gone to church earlier, but he suddenly telephoned to warn me that there was a bomb planted near the church. So, I became worried and wanted to go and pick him. When I got close to IBB road, I saw a mob of Hausa boys who started attacking me with sticks and machetes. They stabbed me all over my body and it was the men of Operation Yaki Patrol that rescued me. They then brought me to the hospital.” A banker who pleaded anonymity also recounted his terrible experience in the hands of the rioters who killed two of his staff before his very eyes, and almost sent him to his grave. “I never thought I could live to see the sun again. It took several days for me to even remember what happened on that fateful Monday. I can’t say precisely how I got to this hospital; all I can remember is that we were told in the office to close work around 10 am that day due to the crisis and the curfew that may likely be imposed. I and other staff had to join another staff car to get home as fast as possible, but we didn’t go far before some hausa youths attacked us with machetes, and before my very eye, I saw two of my staff down while I was still struggling to escape. Even though I was hit by matches and stones from all direction, I can’t remember how I got here. I can only recall the last voice around me that said “he don die” , but before then, I saw with my own eyes fellow staff were brought down. I knew none of them would survive. I was just told that they didn’t make it to the hospital” He concluded in tears. Meanwhile, both the State government, Arewa and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have condemned the recent Kaduna violence and have advised Kaduna indigenes to continue to live in peace and shun all forms of disunity that could bring its ugly head in future.