Posted by From EBOMHIANA MUSA and PAUL ORUDE, Jos on
Two pregnant housewives have recounted the chilling details of how their husband was brutally killed by rampaging youths who shot him and then burnt their house to ashes.
Two pregnant housewives have recounted the chilling details of how their husband was brutally killed by rampaging youths who shot him and then burnt their house to ashes.
Hafsatu Mallam Muhammadu and Adama Muhammadu who said they narrowly escaped added that they watched helplessly as their husband died of gun shots in the neck at FOMWAN Hospital in Gangere where he was rushed to after he was shot and beaten to pulp.
The two distraught housewives, who spoke amidst tears to Daily Sun on Tuesday, four days after the sad incident, said they managed to escape without being able to carry any personal effects from their house in Tudun Wada area in Jos Metropolis as it was completely razed by rioters.
The senior wife, Hafsatu, 30, mother of five told Daily Sun, " I was in the house when the crisis started. My husband asked me to wait to see what was happening. I was scared. I wanted to run. He told me that I shouldn't worry that there would be no problem. He didn't know it was serious. Later, I jumped over the fence with my five children, even though I am four months pregnant."
Hafsatu said she and her five children went to one Liman's house for safety. She said further, "My husband then went to the mosque and that was when he was shot in the neck."
Hafsatu, who is currently taking refuge at the Government Secondary School, Gangare along with her mate and thousands of other displaced persons, said efforts to save her husband's life were in vain as he gave up few hours later.
Adama, the second wife of the deceased, escaped the same time with the senior wife and her children.
"It was a horrible experience," she said. "After we stayed at Liman's house for a while, they came there and attacked again and we escaped. We trekked to Bukuru for hours for fear of being killed and to look for food. We were very hungry and tired. We had no where to run to. I am pregnant, my first, and it was a very difficult experinmce for me. My mate encouraged me to be strong, otherwise, I almost fainted," Adama added.
Adama said she was the one who alerted the other wife that it was dangerous to remain in the house.
She said, "I was waiting outside not too far from the mosque in my area when someone came and asked me to leave that it was not safe. I immediately went into the house to inform my mate."
Hafsat said they made their escape after waiting for their husband who had earlier gone to the mosque.
"When I didn't see him, I was sacred. But news later came to us that he was shot in the neck. I was with him at the hospital but he couldnt speak and later he died.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Information, Comrade Nuhu Gagara, has confirmed that over 250 persons have been killed since the crisis erupted on Friday.
In an interview with Daily Sun in his office on Tuesday, Gagara said the state government has spent close to N80 million to take care of the victims who were displaced by the crisis.
He said food itmes, cloths, grains, drugs and other relief materials are being distributed daily among the displaced persons scattered in 20 different centres within Jos.
The commissioner disagreed with those who attributed the crisis to disagreement arising from the local election hled last week, noting that PDP was firmly on ground and had no oppostion in the state.
He said all the state EXCO members of the supposed main opposition party in the state, the AC, except the chairman have decamped to the PDP.
He, therefore, said there was no basis for any meaningful challenge or opposition against the dominace of the PDP.
However, officials of the Jamatul Nasiral Islam (JNI), highly disputed the figure being bandied by the state government.
As at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, 17 fresh bodies in two different vans were being shifted out of the Jos Central mosque for mass burial.
Five corpes in military uniform were sighted under the Nassarawa Gwom bridge as passersby gathered to take a pathetic glimpse at them.
The state police Commissioner, Mr Samson V. Wudah in company of the AIG zone 4, Mr. Richard Chime, toild Daily Sun at the state police command that the police authorities were on top of the sitruation.
He said more enforcement (men and materials) were being deployed from neighbouring states to beef up security on ground.
They condemned what they called outrageous figures being published by foreign media.
Meanwhile, curfew is still in force in the metropolis, even as the banks remain shut. Customers who daily beiseige the banks are groaning as they find it impossible to access funds.
Except for few shops which are opened for business, activities in the city remain paralysed.