Kampani waya is a settlement along Minna-Kontagora road. The Minna-Kontagora road is about 147 kilometre littered with several villages and towns. But the activities of terrorists always along this route makes life uneasy. Dwellers in some of the villages and towns along these corridors live in constant fear even though military men are always around to protect the people. But truth be told, there is pressure on the capacity Nigeria Army and other security Agencies.
Experience of a journalist on assignment going through the road on Thursday had once again confirmed that safety of lives and properties of people in this axis is often in danger.
Asishana Justina narrated her near death experience and that of other co travellers on their way to Kontagora on Friday July 22nd, 2022.
Below is Aisha Justina stories as she shared on her facebook page:
“Yesterday(Friday), I witnessed the helplessness of the residents of communities often affected by terrorists’ attacks.
I was on my way to Kontagora for an assignment when ten minutes after leaving Kampani Waya, we saw the car in front of us turn around sharply and began driving back with speed. The driver shouted to our driver, they are in front.. go back now before they see you. The way my driver turned back, he needs to be given an award for it but that was not before I noticed two people on the road informing people about the attack and asking them to turn back (they could be described as our savers because of the risk they took in informing people of the danger ahead).
So with speed, we returned to Kampani Waya to wait for the next move to take. There we saw the community residents had already come out but were standing on the road waiting for a sign that the terrorists were approaching. But that was not without giving instructions. All the women and girls were told to go and hide while those with cows began herding them to a safe place. One man specifically told another man to ensure that his new wife is hidden very well so that nothing happens to her. I was later told that he married the new wife two weeks ago.
The community residents were looking helpless but they all stood to see what would happen next. Some were making frantic calls to Kontagora for security and military troops informing them of what happened. All through the 45 minutes we waited in Kampani Waya, everyone was tensed and one could hear people praying for interventions. Several cars had to be flagged down. We saw people coming from their farms and others running from the said attacked community, several of them without footwear.
After about 45 minutes, someone close received a call that they can move now as the military troops are already on the road and it is safe to move but even at that, in my vehicle, we insisted the driver waited until we saw several vehicles heading out of Kontagora that had packed because of the attack coming out way.
I would say it was a close shot because I didn’t meet one of the persons I was supposed to interview as they said that her father was abducted during the same attack I escaped. That was when the impact of what I just escaped hit me.
I appreciate those who travel that road often, seriously, it takes courage and lots of prayers to travel through the Minna-Kontagora road.
May God not allow us to see evil in the course of carrying on with our job. May His shade of protection always be around me and every other Journalists (Amen).”
We can only continue to wish that government will find solution to the security problem across the nation
