The tragedy that struck Musa Muhammed, a vigilante sacked by the 2022 flood in Lokoja, Kogi State, but later claimed the life of his wife after a gas explosion has made life unbearable for him. Muhammed, in an exclusive interview , said he feels like taking his life since he has lost all his properties, including his Wife.
Excerpt
Tell us about yourself
My name is Musa Muhammed. I am a Vigilante officer with one of the wards in Lokoja. Apart from my vigilante work, I usually do roadside hustle (Okada) to support myself and my family because of the present situation in the country. I completed Secondary School some years back, and I am the eye of my family, especially my Mum who is getting old. I got married some years back with two kids.
Tell us what happened
It appears we are the first person sacked by flood in Adankolo under Lokoja Local Government. When we saw the water coming close to our house, immediately I moved my family to another house which I rented. It wasn’t funny at all because I just renewed my rent in my previous house. Since I needed a safer place for my family, I quickly looked for money for a new apartment.
Unfortunately, after moving into our new apartment, my wife and I never knew that there was a leakage in our cooking gas. She wanted to cook that unfaithful day, she lit the gas and it exploded. My wife was burnt beyond recognition, two of my kids were also burnt, including me. But mine wasn’t severe compared to that of my wife.
It is just like from frying pan to fire
Immediately, people in the neighborhood rushed all of us to the hospital. I wasn’t bothered about my own pains, but that of my family. When they took us to the hospital, the Federal Medical Center, Lokoja requested for N1.7m to embark on surgery for my wife. I became confused because in my entire life, I have not touched N200,000 talk more of N1.7m.
I started calling for help from different places. Just because I want to save my wife’s life, the bike I bought not up to a month for N350,000, I sold it for N100,000 just to raise money. Some people came to my aid to raise up to N700,000. Unfortunately, my wife still died because we couldn’t raise the complete money for the surgery. Thank God, my two kids are getting better from the burns. I feel like committing suicide because I have lost everything.
How are you coping now?
Since my wife died, it is as if my life is completely ruined. If someone had told me this would happen to me this year, I wouldn’t believe it. I have been wearing one piece of clothing for several weeks because I lost all my possessions. I don’t have any home of my own, so I have to join other flood affected victims at the Adankolo IDPs camp. I am feeding from hand to mouth, with nobody willing to help me. School is in secession right now, my kids can no longer go to school because I don’t have money to buy them new uniforms, pay their school fees and even buy them writing materials since we have lost everything to the gas explosion.
What are your appeals?
I am using this medium to call on Nigerians to help me. I don’t want to steal or engage in any criminal activity. Just like I said earlier, I have been wearing one piece of clothing for several weeks. I don’t have anything again. They should help me with assistance such as clothes, money and accommodation so that I can start my life all over again. The death of my wife is making me go crazy. I am currently suffering from depression. Nigerians should help me so that I won’t die. If anything happens to me, just as it has happened to my wife, my kids will suffer.