Hussaina Muhammed and her brother, Auwalu Abdullahi, both from Zamfara State left home many years ago because of the insecurity in the state. Before now, they travelled home often to visit their parents. Sadly, they no longer do that because their safety is not guaranteed.
They told Saturday Tribune during the week that they had been thrown into hunger in their state and they “do understand what is going on.” They said several of their brothers and sisters had either been kidnapped or killed.
They revealed that they were begging for alms in Ibadan because that was the option they were left with to provide food for themselves and their families.
“We came here because of the problems going on in Nigeria, the killings and kidnappings going on in Zamfara State. We do not understand what is going on, our brothers and sisters were taken away and held hostage while some were killed, some were released after we paid huge amounts of money. We no longer have food and we are in great problems.
“We are praying to God and government to help us with what to do to put food on our tables because we are not happy with begging around, we just force ourselves out here just to get food. There is a Hausa saying that says, if the right hand is not working, go back to the left hand, we do this just to keep body and soul alive without stealing from anyone.
“That is why we are calling on government to help us so that we can stop begging. Begging is not business for anyone to depend on. I came to Ibadan about 10 years ago, we go back home time to time but because of the insecurity in Zamfara State, we have not gone home in the last three years,” Hussaina said.
Abdullahi said he left home because there was nothing to do again after insecurity forced him to stop his driving and mechanic job. He sadly added that he lacked peace of mind and had to look for other means of livelihood.
“I was a driver in Jigawa but because of the insecurity there,I had to move here because there was nothing to do back home again. I know how to drive trucks and I’m also a mechanic and I would love to go back to doing something more profitable.
“We do not have peace of mind in the north to the extent that feeding became very difficult so, we had to look for other means to feed and that is why you see some of us here. Personally, I am not happy with what I am doing right now but I am praying to find something to do so that I can go back home to my brothers and my mind would be at rest,” he said.
They said people accused them of selling the money they made from begging while they were only out to look for what to feed on.
“When I left Jigawa I kept looking for a mechanic workshop where I could work but I did not find. But I am still opened to any kind of job, I am a man and can work anywhere.
“We stay at Gege, in Ibadan and we can trek from there to Odo Ona Kekere just find what to eat. While doing that, people accuse us of selling our begging proceeds which is not true. We can’t sell the money we make because we are out here looking for what to feed on and also take care of our families back home.
“I don’t know where people got that narrative from, but we do not engage in that. We have never done anything to cheat anyone.Someone once saw us and rained curses and accused us of selling the money we made from begging. That we sold the money to someone in order to double it for us but God knows it is not like that and we have never done that. We are just out here looking for means to feed and take care of our parents and those who depended on us,” he said.
They recalled how they struggled to pay ransom when their eldest brother was kidnapped.
“Because of our condition in the north we cannot be involved in such acts, we have so much we are dealing with. Our eldest brother was kidnapped and they demanded N2 million as ransom. As poor people where would we get that amount of money?” He inquired.
“If not for God that we were able to raise N200,000 before he was released what would we have done? He was doing some menial jobs but he has stopped now. The bandits have stopped us from doing any kind of job or even going to the farm.
“We are really begging people to keep helping us, we are not selling the money we get. Hussaina is not too well and her wheelchair is bad but because we need to fend for ourselves, we keep going out and still walk some distance. We go as far as Apata and even Omi Adio,” Abdullahi said.
Hussaina said she had an accident that dislocated her leg years ago and it became untreatable. “I had an accident many years ago that dislocated one of my legs, I was about to cross a gutter in the market and I fell. It became untreatable at some point,” she told Saturday Tribune.
They revealed that it was saddening because they could not visit their parents even after they moved to a safer town within the state.
“Our parents are still in Zamfara and luckily, they moved to a place that is a little safer so they are experiencing some peace for now but, they cannot do anything so they still depend on us here to take care of them. That is why we cannot go back home now and we are not happy about that, it’s sad knowing you cannot go home to see your parents.
“So, what we do with the money we get here is to send some home while we take care of ourselves with the rest here. For me, I am seriously praying and searching for any kind of jobs so that we can leave the streets and lighten the burden on those helping us too,” Abdullahi said.
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