Abdul’s Dilemma. He was born and brought up in the ancient city of Maiduguri. He came from a good and well respected Muslim family. With the good things of life surrounding him, he knew he would amount to a great person in life. He was not expecting it to be like this. As a Nigerian, he has the rights and privileges to move around and socialize. He wanted to travel the world and make friends until BOKO HARAM dashed his dreams! It started like a joke but within a year, things changed from bad to worse. His friends from other tribes, religion and states of the nations labelled his likes as TERRORISTS. He became a prisoner in his own state and country. Abdul cannot travel outside his state and his region at will and with ease again. He would have to pass through terrible stages. If he attempts to leave the Northern part of the country, or even his immediate area, there is the likelihood that he may die from the dreaded BOKO HARAM attack. If he doesn’t, the Nigerian military will put him through hell for security purposes. If he passes through the military hurdle, his Southern friends will label him a TERRORIST and will avoid him like a plague. Oh Abdul! Does it stop there? No. Abdul has stopped thinking of the future. He wants to survive now. How can you be worried about the future when you are not sure of tomorrow? He finds it difficult going to his father’s shop down the street of Maiduguri – the insurgents maybe lurking around! The fear confines his household (and many other households) in-doors but hunger will soon start knocking on the door. Hunger is a major terrorists. “This could push indigent people to sell their lives for $3000 as a suicide bomber in other to save their families”, he thinks. At every junction of the state, Abdul would be stopped and be thoroughly searched. This process has been repeating itself everyday – he has gotten used to the stop and search thing. He envies his Southern counterparts. His father used to tell them the story of the Biafran War. He told them that the North didn’t experience the war as the Eastern part did. He even promised that they would never experience the war because they loved themselves more than the other tribes in Nigeria. This is confusing to Abdul. Abdul is frustrated. His two brothers have been killed by the insurgents; his cousin died as a result of mistaken identity when the military shot him thinking he was one of the insurgents. and yet, he is constantly being molested, beaten up by the military men. Abdul doesn’t know anymore relatives leaving outside his region – the ones he knew stopped picking his calls. Has he done anything to deserve this? Yes. His wrong? Found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and in the wrong situation. BOKO HARAM has forever changed his view about life!
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 18:04:51 +0000
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