Yakubu Enemali, a police inspector attached to the Ojoo Police Command in Oyo state, was one of the policemen attacked in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protest that greeted some major cities in the country in October 2020.
The #EndSARS was a decentralised social movement and a series of mass protests against police brutality in Nigeria. The slogan calls for the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious unit of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) with a long record of abuses.
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The #EndSARS protest, which lasted two weeks, was peaceful until it was hijacked by hoodlums, who looted public and private-owned warehouses, burnt police stations and destroyed property.
No less than 22 policemen, seven soldiers and 59 civilians were killed during the protest, according to the toll announced by President Muhammadu Buhari during an emergency meeting with former Nigerian leaders.
Although Enemali was lucky to escape the gruesome murder visited on some of his colleagues by suspected hoodlums, he has remained unconscious from the injuries suffered from the attack.
Three other policemen were killed in the command while two other officers in the state – Sergeant Adegoke Ajibola and Corporal Rotimi Oladele were burnt to death while hoodlums shared their roasted parts as seen in videos posted online.
The other officers killed were James Akanmu, Peter Abegunde and Alidu Yusuf.
Kogi State-born Enemali was axed in the head and shot in his leg before he was rescued by a woman whom he had helped in the past.
The Good Samaritan, who refused to mention her name, for security purposes, confirmed to Daily Trust that Enemali was axed in the head and shot in his leg when she met him in a pool of blood.
Before the arrival of Enemali’s wife, the woman took the inspector to a nearby clinic for first aid.
For more than seven months after he was rescued, Enemali was unable to utter a word or do anything by himself. He has remained in that state depending on support from others to survive.
The father of nine was diagnosed with seizures after undergoing a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain test at the Chemical Pathology Department of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
Medical expert, Dr Mustapha Ajakaiye said seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain which can cause changes in behaviour, movements or feelings and levels of consciousness.
Enemali’s wife, Tosin, who is a fashion designer said she had sold her sewing machines and other household items including chairs, television, home theatre and others to take care of the health of her husband.
When our correspondent visited Enemali at his apartment in Idi-Omo area of Ojoo, Akinyele Local Government area of Ibadan, the house was empty of any household item.
Speaking with Daily Trust in Ibadan on Thursday, Mrs Enemali said that though her husband’s condition is improving, the landlord had given them a quit notice to leave the apartment by the end of the month. She said the family is looking for money to vacate the room and parlour apartment for a single room.
“I am now a beggar. People have started avoiding me in the neighbourhood and family circle. Despite selling all our belongings, there is no money to eat. Although he is receiving his salary, it is not enough. We usually spend his salary on drugs and feeding,” lamented Mrs Enemali, who looked distressed.
Daily Trust gathered that the family was issued a quit notice over failure to renew its rent.
“We pay a sum of N120,000 for a room and a parlour apartment. We have never failed to pay our rent if not for the challenges we are facing now,” Mrs Enemali lamented.
Speaking on the development, the estate manager managing the property, Mr. Moruf Ajamu told Daily Trust that the owner of the house had evicted the policeman and his wife about eight months ago when their money expired.
He said he had to talk to the owner of the house to allow them to spend a little time because he understood their plight.
Ajamu, popularly called Ojoo agent said; “this is the first time they are owing us. I am not the owner of the house. I have told them to leave the house because the owner is an old man. He needs money to take care of himself too.
“I had to appeal to the owner of the house to take it easy with them because I am aware of their challenges. I pity that man but I am helpless. They are even using extra time in that house. If you can help them to pay, we will appreciate it”
Begging at the market
While the family faces the immediate threat of eviction, Mrs Enemali has been forced to solicit for money to buy drugs for her husband.
“I had to go to Dugbe market with his pictures to beg people for money. When I couldn’t get money to buy his drug around June, his health started deteriorating. He started dropping saliva in his mouth and I had to rush him to UCH. Unfortunately, the doctors were on strike.
“I approached the Christian doctors and they supported me. He was discharged in August. I thought he was going to die but God helped me,” she wailed.
With tears, she pleaded for support from well-meaning Nigerians.
“I wish to ask for support from Nigerians. Those supporting me are now tired. We need support,” she begged.
Wife of one of the police officers killed in the aftermath of the protest, Mr. Beauty Akanmu said despite their challenges, they had to contribute money from the insurance benefits of their late husbands to support Mrs Enemali.
“We are together now. Things are bad for us but her own is terrible. We had to contribute money to support her. If you see her husband, you will also pity him; but I know God knows the best. Although we are widows, she is more or less a widow too.
“Police can do something now before it is too late. They should assist the man to regain his health. They can also empower his wife to get a job. We shouldn’t continue to look at the woman like this,” she said.
Efforts to speak with the Oyo state Police Command on the matter proved abortive as its spokesman, DSP Adewale Osifeso, didn’t answer repeated phone calls to his known telephone number as of the time of filing this report.
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