There is a million and one thing happening
in the Northern part of Nigeria that is hidden to the rest of the world. It is
just sad. Read the story of how this Redeemed Pastor was miraculously saved
from being hacked to death by some Hausa youths who called him an infidel. It’s terrible…
Old giant threes with fat,
twisting trunks that outlived their
colonial planters, spread forth their huge branches of green leaves over the
Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Jengree
in Bassa Local Government Area, LGA, of Plateau State.
twisting trunks that outlived their
colonial planters, spread forth their huge branches of green leaves over the
Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Jengree
in Bassa Local Government Area, LGA, of Plateau State.
The hospital, said to be over 60
years old, bore all the trappings of
colonial structures in Nigeria – simple homes of asbestos roofs with walls made of stones and well spaced from each
other; and rows of flower beds all over the place.
years old, bore all the trappings of
colonial structures in Nigeria – simple homes of asbestos roofs with walls made of stones and well spaced from each
other; and rows of flower beds all over the place.
In one of the wards, Pastor
Emmanuel Danjuma Garkida lay on his sick bed bare-chest, with sunken eyes that
seemed to stare at nothing. There was a wide band of bandage on his lower
abdomen. The story behind the bandage is a summary of the bloodlet that took
place in Saminaka in Lere LGA, Kaduna
State, on April 13 and 14 after the 2015 gubernatorial election. In barely audible voice, Garkida, who hails
from Borno State, narrated to Sunday Vanguard his close shave with
death.
Emmanuel Danjuma Garkida lay on his sick bed bare-chest, with sunken eyes that
seemed to stare at nothing. There was a wide band of bandage on his lower
abdomen. The story behind the bandage is a summary of the bloodlet that took
place in Saminaka in Lere LGA, Kaduna
State, on April 13 and 14 after the 2015 gubernatorial election. In barely audible voice, Garkida, who hails
from Borno State, narrated to Sunday Vanguard his close shave with
death.
Naming ceremony
“I come from Borno State, but I am
a serving pastor with the Redeemed Church of God, Yobe Province,” he stated.
a serving pastor with the Redeemed Church of God, Yobe Province,” he stated.
“My wife is a native of Abadawa,
Saminaka in Kaduna State and she had come back to her parents and put
to bed a baby boy a week earlier. I had come to see her, my kids and her
family, and I could name the new child.
Saminaka in Kaduna State and she had come back to her parents and put
to bed a baby boy a week earlier. I had come to see her, my kids and her
family, and I could name the new child.
“I took a bike, that morning to go
see my fellow pastor in the other side of Saminaka to help officiate the
ceremony”.
see my fellow pastor in the other side of Saminaka to help officiate the
ceremony”.
According to him, on arriving the
Saminaka main bridge, on the Jos-Zaria Expressway, met had a grim encounter.
Saminaka main bridge, on the Jos-Zaria Expressway, met had a grim encounter.
Saminaka’s green line
The bridge has for long served as
a kind of green line between the two major political parties in the country,
and the two main religions. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the two group of people
had always voted in opposite directions in all elections since 1999. Some said
it even dated back before then.
a kind of green line between the two major political parties in the country,
and the two main religions. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the two group of people
had always voted in opposite directions in all elections since 1999. Some said
it even dated back before then.
Christians and some Hausa/Fulani
occupy the eastern part of the bridge and dominate the Abadawa ward where the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has a comfortable base in the town. The western
part, called Hayin Gada and populated mostly
by Hausa/Fulani and
Muslims, but with good presence of other
tribes, is a bastion of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
occupy the eastern part of the bridge and dominate the Abadawa ward where the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has a comfortable base in the town. The western
part, called Hayin Gada and populated mostly
by Hausa/Fulani and
Muslims, but with good presence of other
tribes, is a bastion of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
‘Kill the infidel, cut him down!’
“I reached the bridge on my way to
Abadawa when I met some Hausa youths carrying weapons and inflicting injuries
on passersby who were not of their own. But since I know some of the boys, I
asked them to show mercy on people. To my surprise some of them started
yelling, “Kill him! Kill the infidel! Cut him down!”, he said. “One of them
rushed at me with a machete. I don’t know how I managed to grab him and threw
him away. Another came with a sword and aimed at my neck, I used my hand to receive the blow.
Abadawa when I met some Hausa youths carrying weapons and inflicting injuries
on passersby who were not of their own. But since I know some of the boys, I
asked them to show mercy on people. To my surprise some of them started
yelling, “Kill him! Kill the infidel! Cut him down!”, he said. “One of them
rushed at me with a machete. I don’t know how I managed to grab him and threw
him away. Another came with a sword and aimed at my neck, I used my hand to receive the blow.
“I started running, and one of
them used a cutlass and wounded me at
the back of my head. I started bleeding
and I could feel the blood dripping on my clothes. I kept running, and they
kept hitting me with sticks and stabbing me with knives until
I fell.
them used a cutlass and wounded me at
the back of my head. I started bleeding
and I could feel the blood dripping on my clothes. I kept running, and they
kept hitting me with sticks and stabbing me with knives until
I fell.
Saved by a stranger
“As they were coming to finish me
off, the last thing I remembered was that a Hausa man, well dressed in white
agbada and cap sped on a bike and arrived at my side.
off, the last thing I remembered was that a Hausa man, well dressed in white
agbada and cap sped on a bike and arrived at my side.
”The man shouted at them in Hausa,
‘leave this man alone and disappear now! Are you not satisfied that you have
killed him? Every one of you must leave
immediately I don’t know what happened afterwards. I went into coma, the bleeding and pains were too
much.
‘leave this man alone and disappear now! Are you not satisfied that you have
killed him? Every one of you must leave
immediately I don’t know what happened afterwards. I went into coma, the bleeding and pains were too
much.
“The man whom I had never met
before was said to have stayed there with me, as I later learnt, until my
friend, Skido, a Yoruba man, came and
evacuated me to an hospital in Saminaka. I was told that I
had ruptured intestine.
before was said to have stayed there with me, as I later learnt, until my
friend, Skido, a Yoruba man, came and
evacuated me to an hospital in Saminaka. I was told that I
had ruptured intestine.
“The doctor had to bring out my
entire intestine and clean up by stomach before stitching me back. I have been
stabbed in many places. You can see the healing wounds. I was brought here to Jengree when my condition got worse. But I
am fine now. And I thank God for sparing
my life. My sister and mother have been the ones bearing the emotional and
financial burden of this problem alone”.
entire intestine and clean up by stomach before stitching me back. I have been
stabbed in many places. You can see the healing wounds. I was brought here to Jengree when my condition got worse. But I
am fine now. And I thank God for sparing
my life. My sister and mother have been the ones bearing the emotional and
financial burden of this problem alone”.
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