Every morning, a group of women files out of an abandoned, uncompleted housing estate in Goronyo Local Government of Sokoto State. What they have in common is that they are all widows living in a makeshift camp for displaced persons.

Originally conceived as resettlement estate for persons displaced by the 2010 floods in Goronyo, the abandoned, uncompleted estate now houses 500 persons displaced by bandits’ attacks in Malanfaru, Riyojin Tsamiya and Kamitau villages in Goronyo.

Of the 50 widows in the camp, 28 lost their husbands in the bandits’ attacks. All of them now have to fend for themselves. So every morning, they file out of the camp to gather firewood which they sell to buy food and other essentials that they and their children need.

For the past 11 months, since their displacement, this has been their lives. The memories of the homes they came from are still fresh in their minds. “When the bandits attacked our village, some women and I fled to the bush and on our return, I discovered the corpse of my husband among the 21 killed,” nursing mother, Azima, 25, said. “My baby was 40 days old when the father was killed.”

Hindatu Bawa, clutching her one-year-old daughter, Rahina, looked dejected, unkempt and sad. Bandits had gunned down her husband, a farmer, on the day they attacked their village. “My child was just one month old when the bandits attacked our village and killed 21 dwellers, including my husband. After I identified his corpse, I joined the other women and trekked over 30 km to this camp,” she said.

At the camp, life has not been ideal. There are food and water shortages and a lack of security worries the displaced persons in Goronyo, especially as increasing bandits’ activities in neighbouring villages portend danger. “The need to make a living compels us to trek for miles into the bush looking for firewood to sell and feed.

It is what we do to survive this life of uncertainty,” Hindatu said. The search for firewood is a team effort for the widows. About 20 of them set off each morning for this hunt.

“We leave camp about 9 am and return around noon,” another widow, Jimma Ibrahim, 40, said. On a good outing, Jimma gathers N600 worth of firewood. On other days, she makes about N400 daily. “

We sell the firewood within the camp where retailers and households buy them,” she said. The money she makes helps cater for her five children in the camp. It is no way near enough. “We are in dire need of food and cloth for our children.

We need support to survive the hard times,” she said. For Zainabu Abu, another widow, her encounter with the bandits revealed to her their motive and foretold her future.

"When the gun-wielding bandits came, they met me outside and the leader said it is your husbands and sons we want to kill and then put you in poverty,” she said. “They burnt houses and killed our men.”

She and the other survivors trekked for close to four hours before arriving at the camp in Goronyo to live in the poverty that the bandits had wanted for them. Spokesman of the IDPs, Samaila Garba, 40, said some of them could not bear the dreadful conditions of life in the camp and decided to go back home to face whatever would befall them. Their homes are not in any way safe since bandits are still grazing their rustled livestock around the villages.

“We have our families here, and we have been struggling to provide for them,” he said. “For me, I use my motorcycle for commercial purposes while others took to menial jobs in the town to survive the situation.” Garba, who makes about N500 daily, said, “We are in a serious problem. We need the government’s assistance, especially on security.

Every day, we hear about people getting killed or kidnapped in surrounding villages and no one bothers to look our way.” It is the rainy season and for most of the IDPs, this is supposed to be one of the busiest times of the year as they prepare and plant their farmlands. However, now, they can only languish in self-pity while scraping for a living.

“We cannot risk our lives going back to the village,” Garba said. “But if we can get a piece of land on lease [here], we can make use of it.” Umaru Garba, 45, along with his wives and 10 children, fled from Malanfaru village after the attack. Life in the camp has been really hard. “We have spent over 11 months at the camp and the situation is quite challenging,” he said.

Umaru engages in petty trade at the camp’s entrance and feeds off the proceeds. With the limited chance of farming, it is hard finding another way to live and feed his family. “We suffer a lot to get even water to drink and the camp where I live with my family of two wives and ten children is not secured,” he said.

“We are at the mercy of the gun-toting kidnappers and bandits who are terrorizing nearby villages. We are afraid of another attack,” he said. Abubakar Musa, 35, often goes into Goronyo town to look for menial jobs to feed his wife and three children.

“I usually visit construction sites where I can get something to do. Any job available, I can do it to feed,” he said. Others have found ways of doing handwork within the camp. One of them is Samaila Garba, 40, from Riyojin Tsamiya. He is the only tailor in the camp and moves from place to place, mending clothes.

“I don’t sew new clothes but mend old ones, and I can make about N300 a day. I also sew children’s cloth,” the husband of two wives and father of 10 said. For the children, life in the camp is very strange and difficult.

Shuaibu, 11, said people go indoors as soon as it is 7 pm. “Life here is quite challenging compared to the one at our villages,” he said. When probed on what he meant, he said, “Food was more available at home. We barely get enough to eat here.”

Yet, in this hardship, while grieving the dead and their loses, the IDPs are bringing new lives into the world with 30 births recorded since the camp was established.

Source: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/we-will-kill-your-husbands-sons-and-put-you-in-poverty.html

One of the demerits of 4+4.

I come and comments later

In a decent country, Buhari should have resigned or made to resign. How can people become refugees in their own country? It is a pity.

I am so speechless. So Nnamdi kanu was right after all

Is this shit real sacksy?

OUR CURRENT SHIAMAN GIADOM WILL GET EVERYTHING BACK TO NORMAL

Nigeria became an irony of a nation under this administration.We have never had it this worst.

If it was the era of Obasanjo, these Bandits would have been ashes by now but Buhari is petting and babysitting these Bandits.

E be like say Bandit na Government on dere own oh d only difference b say nobody elect dem.... Dem no dey du Election

This government has been the most security deficient in the history of Nigeria.

Thank God the president is from the North, if not his people would have started demanding secession like
they did in 1953.

too bad and the worst is that nothing is being done about this...all our president do is getting shocked wen such news gets to him..

No whala

As long as you stay in your borders

Don't come to Yoruba land o

Because we are ready for war !!!

awon werey

Goldencheese:
In a decent country, Buhari should have resigned or made to resign. How can people become refugees in their own country? It is a pity.

dt decent country can never be Nigeria..

May God deliver them.

And buhari said insecurity won't be an issue. Boko boys are still ravaging our army, bandits are still killing, maiming, and kidnapping

Ok

See boldness and confidence.
No more security for the common man in this nation, especially the north.

There was a country

What a country

The sooner we all accept that this is a failed country, the better

Breaking up Nigeria is not an IPOB thing, its the whole south & middle belt thing

femmyapson:
awon werey

Bros u need see this
https://www.nairaland.com/5949356/herdsmen-invade-farms-ondo-amotekun

Shame on Buhari
Shame on Buratai
Shame on Nigerian security chiefs
Shame on nepotism
Shame on you APC
Shame on you all
Nigeria will rise again!!!

Enjoy ya buhari

Mumu set of people... #Spits

Together we can make Nigeria better God


Say no to old leaders.


God bless Nigeria.

Let me reserve my comment, I'm a changed man now. So everybody enjoy your change, I mean enjoy your next level, that's enjoy the real 4+4.
I'm not disturbed neither am I surprised, bcs in the midst of wise people, u mist see foolish ones among the wise. It was some peoples foolishness that brought this calamity of govt and party, I no go mention name.
Then north una no dey try at all, how cone man go born 12 tribes of juda all in the name of what. Just look at the name of children they all HV.
Next time vote wisely

Abeq, let everyone go him separate ways.

And when Lance corporal Martins called out Buratai and his soldier Ants, some susceptible and vulnerable elements on here whose security is not also guaranteed started calling for his (Martins) head.....

Nawa

after boko haram, we would be talking about bandits in this country....pls is bandits not the same as Armed groups or armed robbers? Soon they will be talking of negotiations and Amnesty to be given to them.....and funny enough the APC country northern FG will succumb!