The horror of insurgence

The rebels struck again. It was sudden and unexpected. The temporary dwellings within the vicinity were shattered. The grass thatched huts were set ablaze. The residents lost most of their treasured belongings.

It was around midnight when the rebels came. Wailings of women and children prevailed the scene. Incessant shots of guns rend the air sharply. It was all a dramatic fray of terror and fear.

Yakubu took his three little boys and his expectant wife and rushed them through the darkness. His major concern was their safety. Though, his only daughter had been abducted by stray rebels, there was no use crying over spilt milk. He only contemplated how they would find their way to a safe hiding without confronting the rebels.

He hurried his wife and kids down the terrain to the jungle. He prayed earnestly to the God he knew to camouflage them from the vigilance, terror and defiance of the rebels.

Few months ago, when they struck again, they slit open the womb of the chief’s expectant wife. They forced the chief to consume the foetus. When he disrespected their orders, they struck a bullet into his head. It was terrible.

Many other displaced families joined them on the way. The horror was felt in their uneasy breathing and sobbing. Children's cries prevailed the atmosphere. Their peace had totally been disgruntled.

The night was haunted by the terror that ruined their lives.

Government troops had done very little to arrest the unrest. They too, feared the insurgents for they were not only inadequately equipped militarily, but they were also poorly paid. The rebels thus reigned supreme. They abducted many children and took them to fight for their cause. They killed those who attempted to escape. They took the little girls and and beflowered them.

The horrified families wound their way into the jungle. That’s where they would stay-with wild animals and birds till the day the rebels would be wiped from their lives.

The following day, the government troops emerged from their hiding place. Three military helicopters hovered over the jungle. A fourth helicopter roared before the rest. It belonged to a Humanitarian Organisation. At last, some hope was restored to the hearts of the dejected families.

As usual, they would be taken to stay in camps where there were no schools, no food, no houses and other vital necessities of life. It was a sad relief, though. They had no option. Their safety lay in the hands of the troops and the Humanitarian Organisation.

At the camp, they were met by more horrified faces of the victims of the rebel insurgence. ‘What were they thinking of?’ Peace would never be restored in their land. For more than two decades now, they have seen no other kind of fate apart from this which ate their lives.

Nevertheless, the camps offered some relief. Some families found their loved ones. Yakubu was a victim of such luck. A broad smile spread on his face when he caught sight of his only daughter. He knew she had been abducted. Fate had abducted her to safety. He embraced her gorgeously and waited to hear her story. His family had at last regained their peace after finding their loved one.

Joshua Masinde