by Kolapo Olapoju

On December 20, 2013, the fortune of Sara Steven Zira was altered forever as the life of her husband, Sergeant Stephen Zika was snatched by the forces of Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram, in an attack on 202 Battalion Army Barracks, Maiduguri.

Sarah, who now resides in Yelwa Kakadama, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis was thus left to cater for her two kids, a five year old boy and a three year old girl, all alone.

Although, she has been paid a compensation fee of N1 milion by the Borno State Government, a chunk of the money has gone into the upkeep and welfare of the children.

She got married just six years ago with high hopes for the future, but now her present reality is single motherhood and sole breadwinner-ship as she carries on with life in her dilapidated apartment.

Below is her personal account of the events which led to her present state;

“Last year, precisely on December 20, the entire family would have been wiped out,” Sara began, “but God said that the children and I will live. My husband was on his duty post as the Motor Transport Officer when Boko Haram launched a massive attack on the barracks. They took everybody unawares. It was past midnight, actually about 2am. I was already asleep with the kids when I heard gunshots and chanting of an Islamic slogan, saying” Allah akubar” at the frontage of my house. So, immediately I heard that, I grabbed my little baby and backed her. I went flat on the ground because my husband told me that anytime I hear a gunshot, I should go down to the floor.”

“The gunmen started shooting sporadically and throwing bombs at the neighbourhood. I started panicking and began to pray to God to save us. Some few minutes past 4 am, members of the Boko Haram set my neighbour’s house on fire and I heard the kids running, saying “mummy, mummy,” but unknown to me, their mother had already been killed. I could not help them because I was so scared to come out.”

“Later, Boko Haram started saying that they were going to burn my house. They spoke in Hausa, Kanuri and English. While I was inside, they were breaking the doors of other people. But they did not touch my own. I was thinking about what would happen to me if they broke into my house and met me there. I heard them saying that they were going to set my house on fire. I didn’t need anybody to tell me I should find a way out of the house. I escaped through one of the entrances. Shortly after I left with the kids and hid in one abandoned house my house was set ablaze.

“My last baby was asking about her father and I told her that he would soon join us. I saw the way the Boko Haram members set fire on my neighbour’s houses. They burnt everybody’s house, including my house. I shed tears because I could not pick even a pin from my house. Everything burnt to ashes.

The only thing I left that house with was a phone and there was no network that very day.

“After the attack that lasted for more than three hours, everybody came out and started looking for their husbands, wives and children. Many people were killed that day. More than 21 soldiers were killed, including my husband. I will never forget that day for the rest of my life.”