The Untold Stories from the Anglophone Crisis

It is Tuesday evening of September 2018; lockdown is a rumor and the Presidential Election is around the corner. I am returning home after a tedious market day in Lassin. On reaching kuvlu Market Square, I meet with five mask boys who are well-armed. One of them pushed me down from the bike, he removed my bag and tries to undress me, another man slaps me with his machete; and he said, “We will finish you and your family and take over your land and properties.”
“Na wuna Di work for government.” At the moment, I am lost and lying helpless on the ground, with so much disturbance running through my mind. They are singing “We will slaughter you like a goat”. I can hear some people saying in small voices “he has no problem with anyone”, and “he is not the type of a problem person”, The village head comes to discuss this with the gang leader and I am set free.
That same night, the Ardo of our area is attacked, they kill his child and burn his property. On getting the news in the morning, there is confusion on what to do next. I have not prepared to leave the compound or the village and I don’t even know where to go given that serious work is at hand.
A strange caller informs me that it is safer to take out my parents and some properties because days ahead will be dangerous, especially as the lockdown starts on Monday.

Flash forwards: all necessary arrangements are hurriedly done and we leave the area to become internally displaced persons (IDP) abandoning our things and a big compound and “No PITY” a NSAG actor, stays in our house with his boys for months as a hideout since it is on top of the hill and is it a distance from any military post. This is so annoying and disturbing.
There is a lot of torture, trauma, and lawlessness in the community and we are internally displaced.

I hope this write-up reaches those in power and decision-making, the government, non-state armed groups, youth groups, and civil society organizations. Let’s stop the crisis.
I want lives to be safe; stop the kidnapping for ransom and the killings. Let us end the suffering.
We can do it.

I am Yaya Saidou Jibrill
I am an advocate for peace
Thank you