Sundays usually are days of worship and a day of rest which people all over the world hold dear. But this day became a night mare which was unpredictable.
Every Sunday is a happy day for me, a day when I try to do everything with ease and this includes going to church. But as I woke up on this Sunday the 17th of January 2010 to prepare for church service, something unusual happened because I ended up sleeping for hours rather than heading for the church.
When I finally woke up at about 12 noon, I decided to attend the second mass but as I stood by the road to get a bike, I saw women and children running up and down without any bearing and still no sign of a bike around. Since I could not fathom what was going on, I decided to go back to my room after trying to get some women to talk all to no avail. As I trekked back to my room, I discovered that dark smoke had filled the sky all coming up from different directions while people stood at strategic points all looking confused.
At fist, we taught it was noting serious but by the time two churches around my area were burnt down and fire springing up from all angles, we knew something was not right. Soon the whole area was in disarray as women ran with luggages on their heads and babies strapped on their backs ran helter-skelter. Some of them had been rendered homeless within a twinkle of an eye.
The realization of the whole calamity became more visible as Nassarawa Gwom which was directly behind us in Tina was in flames as both Christians and Muslims alike where rendered homeless, killed or injured. The Government tried to put everything under control by deploying solders at specific places and placing a curfew from 6pm to 6am. But while we all went to bed thinking it was okay, we were yet to know that people where being murdered while more houses were burnt. The terror drew closer to my door step as I heard cries of men, women, and children and also the blasting of gunshots at different times, we could not sleep.
When we came out on Monday morning, the day felt like the cloud had descended on us as smoke filled everywhere and the smell of blood was strong in the air and so where the gun shots. Yet, the day dragged slowly, lives and properties where destroyed quickly like a flowing electricity. For two days, we kept running, kept praying and had sleepless night as we stayed without eating or even having our baths; we where refugees in our land. Still we ran until we could run no more leaving our fate to God.
Although, the whole situation still seems to me like a nightmare, the truth is that the scares created by the crises, would still remain in the hearts of many for a long time to come.
By Victoria Ukeh Anyama
