My Boko Haram experience
On Friday, January 20, 2011, in Kano, I woke up very early in the morning and observed my prayer at a nearby mosque. I was full of expectations and looked forward to having a good weekend. Usually, after the morning prayer I would stay at the mosque for some time, then return to my house and sleep for a while before going to my office. But that day, I left for the office with the intention that after Asr prayers I would proceed for the weekend in Zaria.
After the Juma’at prayer at the famous Alu Avenue Mosque, I returned to the office and waited for the right time to begin my journey.
I was busy discussing with colleagues in front of our office, along Audu Bako Way, when there was a deafening explosion. Some of us raised the alarm, but one of us dismissed it as a sound from one of the construction companies blasting rocks at the Tudun Wada area of the town.
Minutes later, we heard another loud sound in a different direction. As journalists we started making phone calls to know what actually happened. Our enquiries revealed that there was a bomb blast at the office of the Assistant InspectorGeneral of the Police (AIG) in charge of Zone One, along BUK Road.
We rushed to the scene of the incident. But we were forced to park our car far away because the dual carriageway was closed to traffic. We trekked to the scene of the incident, which was barricaded by policemen who had a hectic day trying to control the surging crowd.
In the confusion that ensued, I fell down and many people trampled on me as they attempted to run away. I finally managed to stand up with my recorder and began to run to safety.
When I got to a safe place, I saw two of my colleagues. We were discussing the ugly incident when I received a phone call from my superiors in Kaduna, mandating me to tell the story of what happened. I was still telling them the story when two more loud explosions occurred simultaneously in different areas of the city. I was terrified and confused on what to do and where to go. We later heard that the explosions occurred at the Yarakwa police station, along Zaria road, and Farm Centre police station respectively. It was there that a colleague, the correspondent of Channels Television, Enenche Akogwu, lost his life.
The whole city was thrown into confusion. People ran to their homes for safety as more explosions and gunshots were heard in parts of the city, including the police quarters at Bompai, the residence of the AIG, Zone One, etc.
Our relatives and colleagues from various organisations kept on calling to know what happened. As journalists we must do our job, so we contacted our sources to gather enough information. We also sought confirmation from the relevant authorities.
What happened that day dashed my hope of travelling for the weekend and marked a new beginning in my career as a journalist. I and some of my colleagues went back to the office and waited for police confirmation because command headquarters was a no-goarea.
In the evening of that fateful day, the police public relations officer in the state, Magaji Musa Majiya, released a statement on what happened. A 24-hour curfew was imposed on Kano city. Because of the curfew, many of my colleagues slept in our office for almost two days without food. It was a very pathetic situation.
For updates on the number of casualties, I contacted the police public relations officer, the executive secretary of the State Hospital Management Board, Dr. Maso Kano, and the state commissioner for health, Dr. Labaran Yusuf. To gather more information on the activities of Boko Haram, I also contacted my colleagues in Yobe and Borno states where the insurgency started. I enquired about their relationship with journalists so as to know how to go about my job.
That day I did not go to bed till 12:30 am. And I could not sleep because I was frightened. I kept on looking at my watch. About 3am, I woke up to perform ablution and offer Salat and pray to God to protect us and ease our sufferings.
Again, during the night, sporadic gunshots were heard in different parts of the city. Residents were scared; especially those who wanted to go for the Subhi prayers.
When I trekked to the office the following day, about 8am, I found my colleagues who slept there looking tired and frightened. It was that day that more details emerged.
Following the attacks, Kano witnessed new security measures. Roadblocks were mounted by security men while movements were restricted, in addition to other measures introduced to ensure adequate security of lives and property of residents.
For about two weeks after the multiple attacks, Kano city became a ghost town of sorts as many people left for fear of more attacks. Almost on a daily basis, you would see people and families parking their belongings to go back to their states of origin or neighbouring states.
Every plea by Christian clergies for people to stop leaving en masse as government was working round the clock to address the situation, fell on deaf ears. Among those who fled the city were journalists who had served in Kano for many years. They could not withstand the orgy of violence witnessed in the city, so they relocated to Abuja and other places. Those who stayed behind encountered many difficulties in reporting activities in the state, especially considering the threat issued by the insurgents against some media houses.
As a result of the threat, many journalists started boycotting our office along Audu Bako Way, which was the most popular media joint in the city. We were forced to seek the assistance of the state police command. At first, they started sending policemen in uniform to guard the place, an action that further aggravated the situation because the presence of policemen in uniform caused tension among residents. When we complained, the command started sending their men in mufti.
One incident I will never forget is the coverage of the operations of the Joint Task Force (JTF) at Hotoro. We were invited to the brigade headquarters by the then spokesman of the JTF, Ikedichi Iwehato. There, we were made to follow a convoy comprising the then brigade commander, Major-General Isa Abba, the director of State Security Service, Bassey Eteng and the then commissioner of police, Ibrahim Idris. We went to one house at Hotoro, which occupant was a member of the sect. He was killed while fighting with men of the JTF. On our way, we observed that the whole area was surrounded by men of the task force. When we got to the scene of the incident, we were shown some weapons said to be recovered from the insurgent. Consequently, we were briefed by the then brigade commander.
After the briefing, there was a gunshot somewhere in the area. I started shivering, thinking that the insurgents were about to attack us. I started praying to leave that place in peace. We later learnt that the gunshot was an accidental discharge from one of the members of the JTF. After that incident I avoided the coverage of events involving the JTF.
To worsen my fear, a Daily Trust correspondent in Kano told us about his encounter with one of the insurgents on phone. From that day I decided to always switch off my cell phone by 8pm every day. I also resolved never to answer any call from an unknown number.
Then came the visit of the then President Goodluck Jonathan to condole with victims of the attacks and assess the situation in the state. On the day of the visit, I received a phone call from my head office in Kaduna, that the visit would be covered live by our station. They sent me enough recharge cards for the live transmission.
When the president landed at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, I contacted my station and began the live coverage, up to the emir’s palace, which was the president’s first port of call. Responding to the president’s speech, the late emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero, broke down in tears and appealed for more security measures in the state.
Some weeks after the president’s visit, Kano was thrown into confusion following an attack on the emir, along Zoo Road. Although the emir survived the attack, some of his aides were not lucky; they died instantly. Attention shifted to the palace as dignitaries within and outside the country came to commiserate with the emir over the unfortunate incident.
It is heartwarming that peace has gradually restored to Kano and the entire North-East states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.