The military who began a sting operation in Latya, Lo-Pamdyet and Dura some three days ago have finally left the communities yesterday in the afternoon.
They had cordoned the communities - those who were lucky to leave, left and some others were held hostage in their houses for days. Taken unawares, many families - medical doctors, professors, bankers, pastors, entrepreneurs, poultry farmers, pharmacists, factory workers, wives, children and defendants - who believed they were innocent and have nothing to do with the disappearance of Gen Alkali stayed behind even while the military dredged up the pond (where the General's car was later found). That was a costly mistake. They suffered hunger, depravation of their privacies and their freedom of association and movement was infringed upon. Some had their homes forcefully broken into. Kids were traumatized and some will need to be psychologically healed before they can see a soldier again and be free.
The military accorded me all the respect I deserved. They didn't molest me or my family and never curtailed my movements. Not so with many others. To some families, I had to find ways of smuggling essential commodities like sugar, food, bread etc. to them in their "home prisons". What happened is a story too sad to tell. I pray these communities heal fast so that life can pick up again. And I pray no other community lives to see such militarization in a democracy.
To many of my friends and well wishers who called and offered their homes for me and my family to locate to, I am extremely grateful. Some even got angry at me for rebuffing their pleas for me to relocate my family, saying soldiers are never to be trusted. Some called to pray. Some others sent words of encuragement. Some aggravated our worries with fake news on WhatsApp. It wasn't bravery that made me stay. Everyman has his fears - mine is losing my family. I don't fear for me, am heaven bound.
I want to confess that on Many occasions I also feared for my life. I lived with so much trauma for my girls. I never slept for one night. I prayed for myself and my people in the community every Night as the military siege lasted. I bombarded heaven with prayers and asked God why He was silent.
When I looked at my daughters, I felt like packing and running away even though the Commanding Officer of the soldiers told me we are safe. But some of my friends said, "If Gen Victor Malu's family was not spared in Zaki-Biam, how can you be safe in the hands of trigger-happy soldiers?" But kudos to my brave wife (and they say Yorubas are cowards by nature!), on one of the days I told her to pack all the kids and let's vamoose from the community. But she said, "Temi Love, we are not going anywhere. You are the only reason why some families here are not panicking. When they call you and you assure them that you met with the soldiers and they are safe, they sleep. If we go, some of them would die of fear. We are staying. If we perish, lets perish with these people who look up to you for leadership in this painful time." In the end am glad we stayed! Kudos to my daughters too - they were such brave girls, except for Bicheka who played around and never had an inclination how close we were to a precipice.
We thank all those who stood by these communities through their brace write-ups - Yiljap Abraham and Jonathan Ishaku. Thank God for Kim Jerry Bot, ChrisChris Yilgwan and many others who made some advocacy for the communities with the outside world while others were cowed. Like I said, we remember the role even our government played in this whole saga.
May God heal these communities. May those who were arrested and are with soldiers find their freedoms quick if their hands are not stained with blood.
By Davidson Rotshak Lar JP
