Zabarmari massacre: 2yrs after Residents, live in fear

Hajara Musa, 28, was married for three years before Boko Haram terrorists murdered her husband, leaving her with two children to cater for, including Hafsat, who is now two years old. Hafsat’s father and 42 others were brutally killed on a rice field on November 28, 2020.

Narrating her ordeal to Daily Trust on Sunday, Hajara said, “She (Hafsat) has been sick for over a week and I don’t have money to buy drugs or take her to the hospital.

“Her father married me as an orphan, so he was the only family I had. I don’t have siblings or anyone to help me; I am only looking up to God.

“I strive very hard to feed the children, with very little help from my uncle, who is equally poor. I cry each time I remember how my husband took good care of us. We never lacked anything when he was alive. It is unfortunate that I found myself in this situation.”

Hajara said she last heard from her husband a day before Boko Haram terrorists killed him.

“He called around 9pm to inform me that he would return home the following morning. We had a lengthy conversation and he asked me to send him a recharge card to make some calls.

“As usual, I expected his call the following morning but he didn’t call and didn’t answer my several calls. I went to my uncle’s house to do henna design when my cousin came into the house crying. She told my aunt that they overheard people saying my husband and others were killed in the rice field. I couldn’t believe it until they recovered their corpses and buried,” she narrated amidst tears.

She appealed to the government to come to her aid and others in her shoes by giving them money to start businesses so that they would be able to feed their children and enroll them in school.

Another widow, Aisha, who was left with three kids, said life without her husband has been tough.

“Since that day, my life has never been the same. To eat has become difficult for us. Each time I look at these children they remind me of their father,” she lamented.

Aisha, who has, however, remarried said she had returned two of the children to her in-laws.

“But that has not brought any relief to me because I always think of them. Before my second marriage, I suffered a lot to overcome the trauma. Feeding and taking care of my children was a serious problem. I now leave everything to God.

“Sometimes, I am normal and happy, but whenever I remember my children and what happened to my late husband, I begin to cry,” she said, sobbing.

Residents, farmers still in fear

Lawan Musa, a relative to one of the farmers killed, said anybody who witnessed how the bodies of the late farmers were decapitated by their assailants would never have peace of mind.

“Almost all the bodies we recovered were slaughtered like animals. What surprised us was that we didn’t see much blood on the ground when we entered the place, so we began to suspect that the killing was for ritual purpose rather than retaliation as the terrorists claimed. That’s why I can never trust them no matter how repentant they claim to become,” he said.

Musa said his family adopted the children of the late farmer, while his wife relocated to Maiduguri recently.

‘Why we risk our lives to fish at Koshobe’

A brother to one of the killed farmers who simply gave his name as Jibrin told our correspondent that they used to sneak into the risky areas of Koshobe and its surrounding to fish despite warnings from community leaders.

He said they initially used to be scared each time they embarked on a journey to the bush, but with time they got used to it.

He said, “We have families to feed, and businesses in the town are becoming too congested, that is why we risk our lives to enter the bush for fishing and other activities.

“I just returned from Koshobe, where my brother was killed. We even saw some of the Boko Haram terrorists on the way.”

He said the insurgents were not as hostile as they used to be, adding, “Now, they only stop you to collect money or bread without any molestation.

“Unlike before, you will now see people arguing with the terrorists over what they would pay; and the boys will just collect what is offered to them at last.

“They will first stop your car, study you from a distance before they come. What I noticed was that the insurgents are now very much afraid of security men, especially the Civilian Joint Taskforce (CJTF).”

Daily Trust on Sunday noticed how Jibrin, along with six other passengers alighted from a vehicle in the market area.

He said, “Of course it is a dangerous area to visit, but we can’t stay here and die. We have no option but to take the risk.

“If you like, we can disguise you with turban and heavy cloths to visit Koshobe and other places we go for fishing.”

(Daily Trust)