Tahir looked so absorbed, reading the paper and shaking his head simultaneously that I felt very sure he didn’t sense my entrance into our sitting room.
‘That must be something worth reading’ I said, ‘which makes you so oblivious to the world around you. I mean did you see how you were shaking your head as if dancing to some silent music on the newspaper page?’ I asked, walking nearer to him on his favourite seat.
‘Really? I wasn’t even conscious of it. But if you knew what I’ve just read, you’ll understand why I was shaking my head that way. Whenever I see stuff like this, I wonder how people get away with it. I mean just how do they manage to do so much harm undetected?’ Tahir lamented.
‘What people and what harm are you talking about Hubby dear?’ I asked gently, seeing just how disturbed he seemed by what he read.
‘Look at this story Bint. If it had happened in some GRA or any of those modern, detached estates, it will be easy to understand, but in a village, everyone knows everyone else and people pop in and out of each other houses at will; how can a man perpetuate this cruelty for ten months before he was found out?’ He asked with disgust.
‘What cruelty? Maybe it’s better for me to read the paper myself, you seem too disturbed to tell me what your outburst is all about it.’ I offered, reaching out to collect the paper from him.
‘Yes I am disturbed but I can still give you a summary of it if you wish. This man or rather monster you see here’ Tahir said, turning the newspaper page my way ‘has been arrested for locking his two wives in a room for ten months. What he did to them, apart from saving their hair and not allowing them to go to the toilets, is something I can’t repeat so you’ll have to read that yourself. But my sole anger and pain is how such a thing can happen right next door to others and no one raised an alarm in any way? What happened to good old, traditional neighbourliness?’ He demanded.
‘I wonder, but where did this happen?’ I asked collecting the paper to look at the photos of the evil man and his two wives, both looking emaciated with completely shaved heads.
‘What on earth is this? And what was the reason for him to shave their hair? Is the man sane at all?’ I wailed.
‘If you find their looks shocking, go ahead and read what else he subjected them to, apart from the forced imprisonment. Personally, I feel too disgusted to repeat all that the report said he did to his wives, though he denied most of it. And to answer your question, it happened in Rimi local government area of Katsina state, at a village called ‘Yan-Nabayye. And this is what I find most distressing, that even villagers have decided to look the other way when atrocities are being committed right under their noses.
The only way this monster was found out was when his mother-in-law went to the house to check on her daughter, his second wife. That was when he quickly untied her and made her presentable before taking her to another room to meet her mother. Though she tried all she could to hide her true situation, the mother sensed that something was wrong and therefore, went straight to the police, after leaving Samaila’s house. Everything else was discovered when Fatsuma returned to the house with the police. Now, what do you think would happen if she hadn’t shown up just in time to save her daughter and the co-wife? They will probably die of starvation or disease and God knows what story he will cook up and tell their parents.’ Tahir concluded.
‘But this is too much, how can anyone treat a fellow human like this? ‘ I wondered aloud. ‘And the unfortunate thing is that he’s not alone in this business of keeping women incarcerated in a room where they eat, sleep and defecate. I remember that Kaduna man who did the same to his sister. He claimed that she kept trying to return to her ex-husband and that was why he kept her locked up. But was that also a reason to treat her like an animal, by making her eat and sleep within her waste?
Then there are the so-called rehab schools where thousands of children and young adults were kept in inhuman conditions, tied to one another and exposed to diseases and other social hazards. Why do otherwise sane people inflict such pains on others? What do they gain from it?’ I queried.
‘It’s just another glimpse of man’s inhumanity to man.’ Tahir answered. ‘And the only way to counter it is to enlighten neighbours to report whatever they saw that’s unusual to the authorities. They must be made to understand that when they see something, they must say something.’ He suggested.
‘Now you are sounding like the NTA.’ I joked.
‘Do I have a choice? In fact, you’ve just given me an idea. I think I will produce a radio jingle and sponsor it in all our local radio stations. It will strictly be campaigning that people should be on the look out for monstrous behaviours, such as those displayed by this Samaila in Rimi local government. And they should be their brother’s/sister’s keepers by reporting same to the relevant authorities; that is the police or their ward heads.’ Tahir offered.
‘This is a great idea Hubby dearest. May Almighty Allah reward you immensely for this great sense of social responsibility.’ I applauded.
