Widowed by bandits: The story of women who lost husbands to attackers

• We’re left with nothing

Bearing the brunt of attacks by bandits in Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina states are women and children whose husbands, fathers and sons have been killed.

Some of the women are left with many children that they could barely cater for Daily Trust Saturday reports.

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“The first few times they attacked us, we were left with  our husbands and kids, but two months ago, the bandits came back and killed our husbands,” Ummul-Khair Lawal breaking into tears, said  as she spoke with Daily Trust Saturday.

Just about three months ago, Ummul-Khair lost her husband in the hands of bandits who had prior to that, invaded their small village of Bakali in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State and burnt down their homes and grains.

The mother of six who is in her early 40s explained that life has become very difficult and she now depends on neighbours and relatives to feed her children.

“My relatives who reside in Iyakawa, another village not far from Bakali, wanted me to return home after the death of my husband but the people of Bakali begged them to let me stay.

They promised that as long as their children will eat, my children will also eat,” she said.

Until the tragic attack that left Ummul-Khair a widow, her family had lived in contentment.

“My husband was a farmer and was into business,” she said, adding that “I extracted groundnut oil from groundnut, sold the oil and palm oil, I had enough but the bandits burnt everything,”

Like Ummul-Khair, Shafa’atu Shafi’I said the bandits had killed her husband about seven months ago while her last child was only seven months old. Since then, Shafa’atu who is in her 30’s has been both mother and father to her six children.

“I will never forget that Tuesday,” she said, “that day changed everything. My husband was a farmer, he wasn’t rich but he was kind and made sure we never lacked food to eat,” she said.

Shafa’atu who has left her late husband’s home to live among relatives said her life had taken a drastic turn as she and her kids sometimes go to bed on empty stomachs.

Even though her late husband’s brother who is also a farmer has been helping her and the children financially, the widow explained, “he doesn’t have much, he is also a farmer and lost his grains and home when the bandits attacked us.”

Women widowed by attacks on Zamfara communities also recounted how they cope with lives after their breadwinners were killed by the armed bandits. Some of them who spoke to Daily Trust Saturday said getting what to eat was becoming very difficult, adding that some times they have to send their children to beg for food in neighborhoods.

Some of the women who are are  internally displaced persons staying at Tsunami area in Gusau, Zamfara State capital, have appealed to the people, especially the wealthy individuals to come to their aid, particularly on issues that have to do with food and education for their children.

Looking disturbed, the women speaking to Daily Trust Saturday at their shelter, said they are battling to survive having left their homes and taken refuge in a place completely not familiar to them.

Most of the women and children, our reporter learnt, are without or with very little to eat. Some of them say, their children beg for alms as  breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Halima, a widow with seven children, who was also pregnant as of the time bandits attacked their village (Tsanu village) in Zurmi Local Government and killed her husband narrates how she survived.

“I was pregnant when my husband was killed and I have now given birth to a baby boy, who is the seventh child. My husband’s younger brother who was a commercial motorcyclist in Lagos used to send money for our upkeep.

But some months back when Lagos banned commercial motorcycle operation and the city came under lockdown due to the coronavirus, things became harder for us. The last time he sent some money to us was in March and since then we have not heard  from him again”

Halima explained, that even the money sent to her by her brother-in-law was barely enough to take care of the seven children.

“I buy medicine when any of us falls sick, and purchase soap for washing of clothes and baths. You can see that we are financially handicapped,” she said.

Another mother of five called Lami Kabir  said they started last Ramadan fasting with very little resources at their disposal despite efforts by her eldest son to provide the little he gets from doing menial jobs.

“My eldest son  has gone looking for jobs. We expect him to return later in the evening. So if we are lucky, he would come back with something for breakfast next morning.  Life is difficult here,” she said.

Lami said she and her children were displaced from their village in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of the state by armed bandits after they killed her husband and burnt their homes and grains.

Another widow, Mariya Usman who takes on menial jobs to make a living for herself and children said sometimes finding  menial  jobs is difficult because of the number of persons also looking for means of survival, especially in the area they reside.

“At times we go out and cannot find a job to do which compounds our problems. If there is work to do then we wouldn’t have much problem. But somebody who has  dependants and can’t find anything to do, I think it is disastrous,” she said.

An old woman from  Gusami community in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area  said her  three sons were killed by the armed bandits while working on their farms and she had to leave her  community because she had no one to support her.

“I left the community after the devastating attack and took shelter here. I have never been to Gusau before and I came here along with a young man whose father was also killed in the attack,” she said.

She also said that she gets fed by neighbours and now the assistance has reduced due to the corona virus pandemic.

In Katsina the ongoing attacks have led to the loss of lives of many people who left behind wards and children. In Batsari Local Government Area, there are over 600 widows and over 2000 orphans left behind.

The District Head of the area, Tukur Muazu, said “ these attacks have led to mass relocation of residents as hardly a day goes by without reported killings.”

“There are over 600 widows and over 2000 orphans and even this is just an estimate, they can be more. At present, these orphans and widows are at an IDP camp being catered for by government  and some well meaning individuals. Please, come to their aid, “ he said

Some of the widows spoken to said they live on mercies of people.

In Yar Gamji village, Zulai Garba lost her husband Garba Naallaro and is presently looking after her five children alone at the internally displaced camp at Batsari.

Speaking to Daily Trust Saturday, she said she was yet to come to terms with her present circumstance as before her husband’s death they were barely surviving.

“My children have only  me and God.  My husband was a labourer before he was killed by the bandits while working on someone’s farm.

“He didn’t leave behind any wealth, and I don’t do anything. We survived on his daily earning when he was alive. Now, you can only imagine what life is like for us without him,” she said

Saadatu Sani, widowed and alone, caters for five children. She said: “Since my husband’s death, his relations have not reached out, nor supported in any way. I just don’t know how I can cope with their upbringing. I’m a full time housewife with no other source of income.” she said

Hafsu Mohammed’s mother was killed last year by bandits in attack on their village. Since his death, she has been taking care of her six children alone through the help of people who give her food and clothes.

“ Sometimes we go to farms to work for people but this is no more  because the farms have been abandoned for fear of attacks,” she said

For 42-year-old Mallama Aisha Bello, who lost her husband in a bandit attack in Sokoto, it has been tough losing a breadwinner.

The widow, who is left with seven children, said, “When my husband was alive, I didn’t lack anything. Even soap, he was buy for me but now it’s different.”

After his death, she started selling soya beans cake locally known as awara to make ends meet.

Aisha gets the soya beans on credit and pays back after she makes sales. However, for some time now, she hasn’t been able to sell because she is owing the soya bean seller and cannot take another loan.

“I buy three bowls of soya bean, at N1, 300. If the patronage is high, I make N2, 000.But other   times I get N500 to N1, 000,” she disclosed.

It wasn’t a different story for 35-year-old Halima Nasiru, another widow who has four children.

“The death of my husband was very devastating. I had no one to turn to.  To take care of my children and myself, I had to start selling cooked rice and beans,” she revealed.