Good moment to all fellow nairalanders and faithful Nigerian guests. I have an horrible adventure that worth sharing to you people, especially people from southern Nigeria, who had previously seen the perennial attacks in the north as business that remain there. Unfortunately, we have been kissing the reality now in almost all southern states of this beautiful country. If something is needed to be done at its threshold; it can never be better than now. Now here is the story.



After I was out of work and jobless at the end of year 2022, I summoned the courage to learn how to drive heavy duty vehicle (trailer driving). The courage and tenacity manifested through a thread I read here on nairaland written by antimason ( https://www.nairaland.com/6523549/ever-considered-learning-truck-driving ). I started work and touring every nook and cranny of the country. The part that attracted this write up is what I will strictly attend to.


On this same month in the beginning of year 2023.as usual and as the duty demand of us, we are expected to lift premium motor gasoline(petrol) from Lagos to Kano. Our logistic company gave us the amount of diesel( automotive gas oil) that can take us from Ibadan to Abuja taking the jebba to Abuja road. That road is a worse motorable road(at that time) that logistic trailers do take from Lagos to Abuja instead of Abuja kogi express way that consume more fuel. Cutting cost by the logistic firms you imagined. Now our own destination wasn't even Abuja, It's kano. It is when we reach Abuja that the new journey to kano began. The company is cutting cost, so we decided to cut cost too. How do we do that? We are going to deviate away from the jebba to Abuja road at the middle of the road. So, at mokwa, we checked into the adjoining road that leads to Birni Gwari. Trailers don't pass this road as it's the shortest route to north west states and kaduna and kano in particular. It doesn't require you to waste your fuel and time to Abuja anymore. But the road had many odds against it. May be that was the reason why it recorded low trailer usage compared to the long distance road of jebba straight to Abuja.


The odds. The road is the worst of all road for trailers to take as inter state route during raining season because of how degraded it was. I cant even explain what the experience will be during raining season because we that pass there during the harmattan of January didn't find the experience normal. It was a tug of war to drive pass that forbidden road. The passing trailers were scanty. It was at that moment in time we knew we were in for a big deal. Like 60 to 80 kilometers away from our deviation point(mokwa) and can't turn back. We keep our faith and kept moving. We reach a point that we drove an hour long without coming across a vehicle or one overtaking us.


Our journey later reach a point where we started meeting returning trailers once in a while. They were empty. They admonished us for taking load to pass the route. They said it could have been better if we are returning empty. Let me hint you! Each one of them didn't go without warning us about the insurgency going on from Birni Gwari to kaduna. Oh my God! What have I done to warrant this. We sweat inside. When we were coming closer to the infamous town, the retuning trailers(most of single container truck who were yoruba drivers as us) advice us of the best way to ply Birni Gwari to kaduna if we don't want to lose our lives(we where three.driver, me and another fellow motor boy) they instructed that when we reach towards the outpost of the town. We would find other trailers who had already parked and we should join them. Other coming trailers coming after us would join us there too, as it is not advisable to pass the road alone in the day time till down. Oh! How would I forget this experience



This is how it work for the Travellers and traders in Birni Gwari. Insurgency in southern kaduna had left almost all villages and little communities between infamous Birni Gwari and kaduna to go into extinction. The traders and travelers would have to wait at the outpost of Birni Gwari where a military base is miles away. Travellers parked at the side of the road. They will all wait til around 8:00 am in the morning of the next day. That time, military team are believed to be patrolling from another 'makeshift heavy military base' which is situated at a small town/big village in the sovereignty of kaduna state. They takes a routine patrol from that village to Birni Gwari, during that process, travellers who had slept over at that village too, will follow the military convoy of about 2 tanks and four military pick ups to Birni Gwari. The convoy of travellers following the convoy of the military can total up to 250 or 300(they are too many, I can't just arrive at a number) in this convoy are trailers( including dangote trailers) and commercial cars for traders and commuters, and also private car owners. They were always following the morning convoy of the soldiers. If you decided to pass the road Hours after their departure; On Your Own is your motto. There is always a team of soldiers with two tanks that firstly check on the road for safety purpose for the oncoming long motorcade of the military and travelers convoy. This is done to give signal to the military guarding the long convoy for any misadventure that might be on the way. It is the arrival of this convoy we are all expecting to follow back to that makeshift military base. The base in Birni Gwari is a standard brick barrack but its military presence and obligations have dwindled. You can count the total number of soldiers inside the barrack if you are allowed to get inside.
The heavy makeshift military base in the other village is haphazardly designed with tents with lot of military hardwares for combat. There is another one some meters after leaving Birni Gwari and its unutilized barack. It's a makeshift post also but light compared to the other side post.




Back to my adventure, when we entered Birni Gwari, the consigned inhabitants were communicating to us from under the roof covering their houses and shops. Even individuals on bike or the one walking on the road quietly passed us message. They were telling us to park when we reach front and sleep there till next day morning, when we will have to follow back military convoy to their heavy base. It was around 3 or 4:00pm. What was our idea was to cut cost and return home quickly. But here, we where, taking a compulsory recess, or else we would completely play with our own life if we refuse to park and rest.



We parked when we reached the infamous park. Vehicles there were not many at that time. The trailers we met were about 6 or seven. Truthfully; drivers had left that road for goodness sake. We look for a local canteen that sells our own yoruba indigenous foods. There we relate with the workers who are vast in both hausa and yoruba language. Although my boss understands hausa language a little bit. I and my colleague were the newbies. Our acquaintance told us more of what we needed to know about the environment and what we should be expecting on the road. They said many people had lost their lives on that same road. There were cases of the insurgents stopping vehicles and killing them all, or sometimes, abduct their victims. The road had become the shadow of itself that the villagers in the environment have refused to be taking goods to them in Birni Gwari market, which makes the available farm products in the town so cost. They said when we are following the military convoy tomorrow morning, we will see with our eyes, villages without number at the road side, which had been ransacked. Some are ruins from the result of villages set on fire. Our hearth breathed heavily and we felt sorry for the villagers.



The day we had been patiently expecting arrived. They told us that the convoy had arrived. We could see it with our own eyes too at around 9:00am when vehicles drove in with a little distance before one another. The army had stopped at the light post. The civil convoy following them had glide into the town. It remain us to go and meet them at the light post, so that we could follow them back to the heavy post.



The trailers that parked at where we slept were now more than ten. Cars of both private and commercial joined us with their goods and passengers. We all followed ourselves forming a convoy as well. We left the unutilized military base in our front. Droved few miles away from Birni Gwari before we reach the military light post. They had been waiting for us. Their motorcade started moving when they sighted us, and we follow them with prayer. As our acquaintance had said, so is everything. We saw deserted villages with no single inhabitant. Half fallen big huts here and there. Schools abandoned. Weed took over the fields. Bushes growing inside hurts that had lost roofs to fire. Everywhere were silent. What you can only see and hear are the birds flying in circles and chirping. Big mango trees lies useless beside the road. No one dare to come plucking.



I wasn't advantage to have a better camera phone with me then. I could have capture more than enough. On the journey, we reached some deserted villages that farmers came in groups to check dried trees for sale and cooking purposes. Some group of women went in groups to to pluck mangoes in abundance for sell. This place, your vehicle dare not have any fault. Because once the convoy left you. You are at your mercy. Don't even think of roadside mechanic or vulcanizer. They are nowhere to be found. Who dare open a barbing shop at the town of bald men when their lives is not even safe. Maybe a tow vehicle would have to help you tow it, following the convoy away from the zone into the city of kaduna. Despite these calamities. There are still few villages that had absorb the the runaway refugees to their own village. That makes such village big a little more. The last of all is when we reached the military heavy post. A very big village had been formed at a mile away from the military base. It's this village that absorbed almost all the refugees of the destroyed villages. It has become their asylum because of the presence of the heavy military base.



The total experience was an eyesore. People are living in this environment with the probability of insurgency striking them at any time. This is not the country we all wish to be proud of. If we are to have a better Nigeria. Then we should all come together to find the root of our problem and deal with it from that root. It's only then that we could rest and proud of our land. To the children abducted yesterday in ondo or ekiti state. May they all come back safely. It's not done through prayer alone. It requires action as the most important. Intellectual Evolution can start from anyone. You don't need to wait for no one.


Note: this write up is not edited.

Insecurity is very high now, unfortunately the person that started this evil for political gains years back in the north is now at the helm of affairs. I did not mention name but if you are politically grounded and in the system you'll know the person.

A Dangerous experience.
Life is too precious to toy with in the hands of worthless Terrorists

The north started this because of power that's why you will never see their religious leader or cleric condemn it.

It's high time we as citizens of these country come together and look for the root cause of these problem.The era of pointing fingers and blaming a particular set of people should stop.

Seriously?
Never knew it was that bad.
Nigerians, whether APC, LP, PDP. Whether Hausa Igbo or Yoruba,
WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING!
Who I am kidding, do we even care?
Some people have finally found their voice while some have lost theirs...
Well sha, sooner or later, our body will move even if our mind doesn't want to.
Whatever that means.

elpochas:
It's high time we as citizens of these country come together and look for the root cause of these problem. The era of pointing fingers and blaming a particular set of people should stop.

For what? are we in government? Are we part of the security forces? Are we superman or ironman?

Abeg leave us to point fingers and lay blames jor they can't go and die and then we will now come and kill ourselves

I have seen bandits in vast numbers drive past the village we went for financial inclusion. That day, I said to myself, there is an agenda in Nigeria. But too bad, the south are forming too woke to get the memo.

Now, let me ask a question that have been bordering me.

Birnin gwari is a village in Kaduna.

It has a border with Niger state and Abuja or maybe with Kogi also.(not too sure).

Birnin gwari doesnt have border with another country but with states in Nigeria.

Since 2017 people have been talk about birnin gwari been the HQ of bandits activities.

My question now is... How come all these years have passed by and our secuirty personnel combined have not engage in a special mission to clear brinin gwari from the holds of bandits.


This country is gone. Cos no sane country will condone sonmething like this.

elpochas:
It's high time we as citizens of these country come together and look for the root cause of these problem.The era of pointing fingers and blaming a particular set of people *MUST* stop.

Fixed!

Niger Delta militant start all this!

muyico:
Niger Delta militant start all this!

how.

muyico:
Niger Delta militant start all this!

Did Niger Delta militants kill their own?
What was their cause?

Una get luck.

You keep taking their resources to develop your rotten villages and expect them to keep mute?
Why didn't the government allow regional resource control?

elpochas:
It's high time we as citizens of these country come together and look for the root cause of these problem.The era of pointing fingers and blaming a particular set of people should stop.

I am sorry but I don't agree with you.
Why?
It's because usually at a point probably when the effort to bring the desired changes begin to have the necessary casualties they will use tribalism on us and stereotype the fight as an Igbo agenda.

If Nigeria wants to burn, let it burn. I care less.

SeeWahala:


For what? are we in government? Are we part of the security forces? Are we superman or ironman?

Abeg leave us to point fingers and lay blames jor they can't go and die and then we will now come and kill ourselves

We are not calling for protest as it was done in 2020. Their are numbers of better way we can engage ourselves to demand action from our leaders. Remember social media played a significant role in the publicity of election that brought in France President. We use so much time chasing clout on social media when it could be used to our advantage.

AncientAlien:



We are not calling for protest as it was done in 2020. Their are numbers of better way we can engage ourselves to demand action from our leaders. Remember social media played a significant role in the publicity of election that brought in France President. We use so much time chasing clout on social media when it could be used to our advantage.

It is it the same way we used social media to usher in the best choice of a president in out last general election but as usually the Nigerian dark factor superceded and turned all our hopes into dust

You complain too much? Emilokan online agbad0rians harass you into believing you're an ipob member

You go to engage tour senators and representatives too much? They jet out of their constituencies and retire to their various mansions in Abuja.

You want to protest? You'd get shot down

You talk too much? Icpc, Dss, efcc comes for you.

So brother, what other options do we have in our arsenal to use today?

Rich4god:
I have seen bandits in vast numbers drive past the village we went for financial inclusion. That day, I said to myself, there is an agenda in Nigeria. But too bad, the south are forming too woke to get the memo.

Now, let me ask a question that have been bordering me.

Birnin gwari is a village in Kaduna.

It has a border with Niger state and Abuja or maybe with Kogi also.(not too sure).

Birnin gwari doesnt have border with another country but with states in Nigeria.

Since 2017 people have been talk about birnin gwari been the HQ of bandits activities.

My question now is... How come all these years have passed by and our secuirty personnel combined have not engage in a special mission to clear brinin gwari from the holds of bandits.


This country is gone. Cos no sane country will condone sonmething like this.

The best suitable answer for that will be: there is either moles (saboteur) in Nigeria military or right there in our administrative arm of government. The worst will be to have saboteurs at the helm of affairs. That is not easy to curtail.

RisenObinna:


I am sorry but I don't agree with you.
Why?
It's because usually at a point probably when the effort to bring the desired changes begin to have the necessary casualties they will use tribalism on us and stereotype the fight as an Igbo agenda.

If Nigeria wants to burn, let it burn. I care less.

Nigeria can happen to anyone my brother. Even if you control millions of naira. You wouldn't fly on air everytime.

I used to ply Kaduna-Birnin Gwari every fortnight back in 2016. I think I have written about it somewhere on this forum before. I usually have to manage salesmen at the Birnin Gwari market. Kamuku resort was my favourite spot for the beautiful huts and local chicken peppersoup. Corpers were also at the resort to liven our evenings when we played pool at the bar.

It was around that time the insurgency got worse and bandit attacks ramped up on that route. People were being ambushed so close to NDA roundabout, coming from Birnin Gwari with the airport road on the left. To make matters worse, the road was an eyesore and would remain empty for miles while driving.

I believe the Kaduna government just abandoned that area in terms of security. For the next time abeg, life is more precious than money saved on diesel.

RisenObinna:

Did Niger Delta militants kill their own?
What was their cause?

Una get luck.

You keep taking their resources to develop your rotten villages and expect them to keep mute?
Why didn't the government allow regional resource control?

When last I checked, zamfara state goverment controlled its gold resources

So your point again was . . . ?

SeeWahala:


For what? are we in government? Are we part of the security forces? Are we superman or ironman?

Abeg leave us to point fingers and lay blames jor they can't go and die and then we will now come and kill ourselves

For sure it's the responsibility of government to do that

Melagros:

For sure it's the responsibility of government to do that

My broda, I tire oh

AncientAlien:
Nigeria can happen to anyone my brother. Even if you control millions of naira. You wouldn't fly on air everytime.

Have you heard of an apparatus called a helicopter 🚁

What is the lasting solution to this insurgency, kidnapping ravaging our dear country?

CandidAdmin:
Seriously?

Never knew it was that bad.

Nigerians, whether APC, LP, PDP. Whether Hausa Igbo or Yoruba,

WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING!

Who I am kidding, do we even care?

Some people have finally found their voice while some have lost theirs...

Well sha, sooner or later, our body will move even if our mind doesn't want to.

Whatever that means.

Leave Igbo out of it! Let those who ‘won’ the uncivil war and who blame Ndigbo for all the woes of Nigeria….those who have controlled the political-economy since the late 60s….let them be the ones to lead the charge in changing Nigeria to the safe, secure, peaceful, united and economically viable country you all would like it to be! The moment Igbo get involved and the effort gets sabotaged from within by the usual suspects who want to protect their loot and criminally acquired privileges, some wouldn’t hesitate to heap all the blame on Ndigbo and add that to our list of ‘sins’!

Fact of the matter is, had the other ethnicities supported Mazi Kanu in confronting the ruling hegemonic establishment, Nigeria would have been better off for it today! But some can’t see or reason beyond their hatred for Ndigbo! They see Ndigbo as ‘conquered slaves’….’3rd class citizens’ who’re beneath them in the pecking order!

Some power-hungry bigots sold you all a dummy and made you lot believe a questionable character like Tinubu would take Nigeria to the promised El-Dorado!

It will only get worse with tinubu. You don’t need a soothsayer to tell you that

SeeWahala:



When last I checked, zamfara state goverment controlled its gold resources

So your point again was . . . ?

You left the Niger Delta you mentioned to call Zamfara?

Let's assume what you said is true about Zamfara, why allow Zamfara to control their resources while you rip the Niger Delta of theirs to develop other regions?

AncientAlien:
Nigeria can happen to anyone my brother. Even if you control millions of naira. You wouldn't fly on air everytime.

Yes, it's happening to me currently and I don't mind.
Let's it burn, let us burn.

No be wetin we want?

AncientAlien:



We are not calling for protest as it was done in 2020. Their are numbers of better way we can engage ourselves to demand action from our leaders. Remember social media played a significant role in the publicity of election that brought in France President. We use so much time chasing clout on social media when it could be used to our advantage.

Try it and be called IPOB, obedient or Igbo.

Na then your mind go dey

RisenObinna:

You left the Niger Delta you mentioned to call Zamfara?

Let's assume what you said is true about Zamfara, why allow Zamfara to control their resources while you rip the Niger Delta of theirs to develop other regions?

Oga abeg direct your questions to the names below

👇🏾

Buhari and Tinubu emilokan

When you get your answers please dont forget to update the house we will wait

I invest here

SeeWahala:


Oga abeg direct your questions to the names below

👇🏾

Buhari and Tinubu emilokan

When you get your answers please dont forget to update the house we will wait

Answer the first one. It's for you.