Jos — Recurrent attacks on villagers believed to be carried out by herdsmen
from one of Nigeria's three major ethnic groups Hausa-Fulani, have turned
many children into orphans. While authorities are mostly focused on dealing
with security challenges, these helpless children in Barkin Ladi and Riyom, Local
Government Areas (LGA) of Plateau State, are left to themselves. 17-year-old
orphan Sabina Gyang shares her story of tragedy and ambitions with RNW.
In an attack in July this year, Sabina lost her mother. The latter was the sole
bread-winner in the family. But with a strong will to survive and build on a less
somber future, the teenager has resorted to doing whatever jobs she can lay
her hands on.
"My mother, Josephine, was a hardworking farmer," she says. "She paid for my
school fees and catered for all the other needs of the family with money from
farm produce. My father has been without a job for many years and now that
she is dead, I have been trying to survive on my own. It's really difficult."
Hausa-Fulani
Sabina says that before her mother was killed she had a large farm growing
potatoes, corn and millet. But she says the Hausa-Fulani attackers harvested
the potatoes and destroyed the farm. "They also stole sacks of grains from
our barn," she says.
Since September 2001, Jos North and neigbouring LGAs have witnessed ethno-
religious clashes between the "indigenous" Christian population (Berom,
Afizere, Anaguta and other ethnic groups) and the "settlers," the Hausa-Fulani
people. Sabina belongs to the Berom community and in recent years, Berom
villages have suffered from uncountable attacks.
Narrow escape
Sabina narrowly escaped the deadly attack on her hometown, Maseh in Riyom
LGA in the early hours of Saturday 7 July. On the previous day, she went to
visit an aunt in another village, Bukuru, where she spent the night. "My aunt and
I tried to travel to the village immediately after we heard about the killings,"
Sabina recalls somberly. But she said it was impossible. That Saturday, the
situation was still tense and there were no transport whatsoever to take them
there.
"We were able to make it to the village the following day for the mass burial
of my mother, my nine-year-old sibling and over fifty others who were killed
the previous day," Sabina continues narrating painfully. "Two of the dead
bodies were lowered into the grave when we heard gunshots. People started
running in different directions. Some of us ran to the next village, Kuzeng."
Will to survive
From the day her mother and her nine-year-old brother died in the attack, the
17 year old knew that she could count only herself to survive. She decided to
migrate to Jos metropolis. She knew she stood a better chance of finding
work there.
But life is tough out there. After having worked as an assistant mason on
various construction sites, Sabina now works as a housemaid. She has long days
of cleaning, washing and doing any other chores that come her way. She says
she earns about 9,700 Naira (100 Euros) in a month.
However, the teenager's ambitions are loud and clear. From the monthly
amount, she tries to save as much as she can. She wants to pay her school fees
for the coming term in September and a tailoring course she is already enrolled
in. She is also planning to sit for the Joint Admission Matriculation Board
examination (standard examination for entry into Nigerian Universities) in April
next year. The examination fee is 5,000 Naira (25 Euros).
"I'll appreciate any form of help from the government," admits Sabina. "Right
now I don't have a home because it was destroyed during the attack." But
while Nigerian authorities are still struggling to cope with these recurrent
attacks, help from the authorities doesn't seem to be coming very soon. Like
many other orphans in Maseh and other villages suffering from the unrest in
the region, Sabina has her destiny in her own hands, more than ever...


Hope you learnt something from her, for some lazy nigerians who sit at. Home and blame the government of the day.

Mod, front pagE pls?