By Masara Kim
As the sun rose over the small town of Bokkos on August 7, Chibum Sagam finally gathered with his wife and three children for breakfast, a moment made possible by the assistance of U.S.-backed Christian Solidarity International (CSI). 40 miles away in Jos, the capital of Plateau State in central Nigeria, officials had imposed a 24-hour curfew following anti-government protests that reportedly turned violent in the fourth day.
For weeks, Sagam could only scrape together enough money to provide a single meal for his family. He relied on his commercial motorcycle taxi service, which has become his only means of livelihood. The 35year-old graduate in Medical Science Laboratory Technology recently lost everything to terrorist attacks after struggling with unemployment for 15 long years.
On August 3, Sagam’s desperation was palpable as he stood next to another survivor of a tragic Christmas massacre that claimed more than 200 lives, just 40 miles south of Jos, the capital of Plateau State in Nigeria.
During the brutal six-day attack, Sagam lost 12 family members but managed to escape with his wife and children just before their home was set ablaze.
With a scarred eye from a previous terrorist attack, Sagam gratefully accepted a 110-pound bag of rice from a CSI representative in Bokkos.
The distribution of more than 200 large bags of rice and corn in partnership with the local organization Emancipation Center for Crisis Victims in Nigeria (ECCVN), provided a much-needed lifeline for Sagam and more than 700 other families currently seeking refuge in makeshift shelters in Bokkos.
According to camp leaders, this was the first significant help they have received since Equipping the Persecuted, an Iowa-based mission, extended medical assistance to those hospitalized in the aftermath of the violence.
Politicals Don’t Speak to the Challenge of Saving Displaced People from Starvation
Both President Bola Tinubu and Governor Caleb Mutfwang refrained from discussing their interventions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their recent broadcasts, which aimed to defend their records and persuade nationwide protesters against alleged government mismanagement to stand down.
Mr. Sam Godons, the Director General of Research and Statistics at the Plateau State Government House in Jos, acknowledged the difficulties faced by displaced residents but insisted that the government is still working to help them return to their homes.
“We also identify with the survivors,” said Godons during the distribution. “Feeding is very basic,” Godons said, speaking on behalf of Governor Mutfwang.
“Food is the minimum that anyone can do, but the ultimate is for [them] to go back and restart [their] lives and God will take us there,” he said, appreciating the role of ECCVN in “supporting the government.”
“These were people who were rich and independent of government,” Solomon Dalyop, the chief executive of ECCVN told TruthNigeria. “This is one of Nigeria’s breadbaskets, and these people were not only growing their own food, but also supplying the largest share of the tuber crops consumed across Nigeria and in the neighboring countries,” Dalyop said.
“But based on our assessment, these people lost everything,” he said. “They lost their loved ones, including breadwinners. Virtually all of them lost their homes and properties worth millions of dollars. But of course, the support that has reached them as far as we are concerned, is grossly inadequate,” he said.
“That is why we had to come in to help,” he added, listing items donated, including 134,220 pounds of maize; 20,220 pounds of beans; and 84,110 pounds of rice to be shared among 700 worse-affected families.
“If not for donations like this, I don’t know where I would have turned,” Sagam told TruthNigeria. “I graduated among the top in my class but couldn’t get a job because I have no one in government to recommend me,” Sagam said.
“Now I find myself having to beg for food, because even the little I had was taken away, and all while, the government looked away,” said Sagam.
Camp leader Ishaya Gushe echoed the same feelings. “We are really grateful to this organization for this intervention,” Gushes said. “When this [attack] thing happened, I didn’t know how or where to start life,” Gushe said during the distribution. “Each time I looked at my children, I wondered how I was going to find food for them, but here we are getting it for free,” Gushe said on behalf of beneficiaries.
As Gushe spoke, thousands of protesters were waving flags and tree branches 40 miles away in the capital city of Jos, demanding an end to bad government policies that have spread hunger and vulnerability around the largest black nation in the world.
The protests holding simultaneously across the country had been going since August 1 with organizers vowing ten days of rage.
No Negotiations: Protest Leader
“We are not ready for any negotiation,” said Prophet Isa El-buba, a fearless minister famed for criticizing the government. “They must restore gas subsidies and stop the rising inflation that is increasingly reducing the capacity of families to survive in this country,” El-buba said, while leading the protests on August 4. He maintained the struggle was for the “soul of Nigeria”, refuting claims of ulterior motivations.
In his national broadcast on August 3, President Tinubu threatened to clamp down on protesters, warning, “Our government will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart.”
Solomon Dalung, a former Minister of youths and sports who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress Party, accused the President of insensitivity to the plight of ordinary citizens.
“We love our country and love peace, but we are not going to back down,” said Dalung, while co-leading the protest on August 4.
“We are simply demanding accountability from our leaders, including the President, lawmakers and all those elected to serve us,” Dalung said.
The protests were abruptly brought to an end in several states including Plateau following violence by “sponsored thugs” according to Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
At least 17 deaths were reported as police and army clashed with protesters in Plateau, Niger, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, and the capital city of Abuja, forcing officials to impose curfews to curb further loss of life.
Masara Kim is the senior editor of TruthNigeria.com
