The price for armed militia conflicts in Nigeria
This compellingly readable fiction provides a fascinating account of a young man who got enmeshed in the ‘windy life’ of armed militia conflict that ended in tragedy.
Written by Shima Ayati, the title AHUMBEISM is a coinage from the Tiv word: ‘Ahumbe’ which translation is euphemistically provided in the book title’s rider: ‘A windy Life.’ The 151 pages book is therefore a Tiv socio-cultural fiction that exposes the consequences of youth involvement in armed militia conflict, political intrigues as well as conspiracy with hurricane consequences.
The story revolves around the three generations of an imaginary family called Gwakyaa: the grandfather who fought in the First and Second World Wars; the son who became a senior bureaucrat and the grandson (the protagonist) whose unwholesome actions gained him notoriety in the high stakes game of political machinations and the underworld terrain of criminality.
Beginning with an appetizing prologue with a tragic imbued epilogue the story is anchored with sequential narratives in six chapters that leave the reader holding his/ her breath until the very last page.
The stage of this dramatic narrative is set from a sprawling village called Gbuju; a settlement along the bank of the Benue River. Gbuju, whom the village was named after, was married to an Agatu woman called Ada who birthed a child named Abagye. But this only son was barely five years old when lightning struck his father dead; a development that made the wife (Ada) abandon her only son behind to grow as an orphan.
Since it apparently became very difficult for him to survive in such a hostile atmosphere as an orphan, Gbagye left Gbuju village for his maternal home at an adjoining village called Gbaji. But his sojourn here did not change for the better as he had no one to look after him. He only survived working at the village fish market as a middleman; a development that exposed him to the Royal Niger Company at Loko where he became the main financial facilitator.
In the course of this work Abagye enlisted into the service of the newly created West African Frontier Force in 1914; thus becoming the first Tiv person to be enlisted into the force. After his trainings at Lokoja and Zungeru where he was outstanding, he was among the two battalions that were sent to combat the Germans in Cameroon. From here he was later posted to join the East African Campaign in Somaliland.
Little wonder that his first son upon return from Somaliland who was born in 1932 was named Gwakyaa meaning, Agbagye had done a great feat by participating in the First World Wars. After his early education and upon graduating with a Diploma certificate in Public Finance and Administration Gwakyaa joined the Northern Nigerian Regional government in 1955 and had a progressive career in the civil service that made him relatively well to do. He later got married and gave birth to a boy named, Terhide (meaning, father has returned). But soon thereafter things started falling apart for him and he eventually died leaving behind his son, Terhide. The shock of his death also took a toll on his wife who also passed on later, leaving behind Terhide as an orphan.
It was the kind of reckless lifestyle Terhide lived after the death of his parents culminated into the crux of the story in this book. Although the death of his father affected his education initially, a friend of the late Gwakyaa was to later adopt the boy and reenrolled him back in school in Katsina Ala.
Chapter two of AHUMBEISM tells the In the course of this work Abagye enlisted into the service of the newly created West African Frontier Force in 1914; thus becoming the first Tiv person to be enlisted into the force story of Terhide at school where he was outstanding. But his academic performance got to his head and he started misbehaving. He also got involved in cultism and other social vices and was consequently expelled from school. He became a regular visitor to night clubs where he cultivated hardened criminal tendencies. Efforts by his late father’s friend to dissuade him from his bad ways proved futile. He eventually ended up in jail in Jos after spearheading a bloody fight at a night club.
Upon coming out from jail, Terhide decided to trace his roots back home in Benue. But things got worse as he became involved in armed militia activities. Later known as ‘Shaka’, Terhide acquired a large cache of weapons and became a terror within and around his community. He stirred up conflicts and was regularly hired by politicians to rig elections. He also got involved in kidnappings and other criminal activities like armed robbery. Then tragedy struck! This electrifying story of Shaka’s misspent years ended bloody when he was eventually arrested by the police during one of his operations and killed by the Police.
Coming at a time when the issue armed militia is dominant in the country, this book is quite timely not only in highlighting the ills and consequences associated with it but also drawing attention of the relevant institutions to the dangers posed by armed militia conflict in Nigeria. It is highly recommended as a reference material on this subject matter, especially for our teeming youths.