No Christmas fun in Bauchi, Borno, Yobe

Christians in Bauchi State celebrated
Christmas yesterday amidst tension and
tight security, following the bomb blasts
that ripped through Central Market, the
largest market in the state capital on
Monday.
Heavily armed security operatives were
seen manning most of the churches in the
state capital where Christians turned up
for the Christmas service.
Although there was no restriction of
movement by the authorities, most
residents indicated that they would not
step an inch from their houses.
“I am going to church, after that I will go
straight home,” Mr. Uchena Maxi who has
since relocated his family to the South-
East, told the reporter.
Some residents said that they would
rather not go to church in view of the
increasing attacks by insurgents of
recent.
“They have attacked markets, schools,
churches, name it. Nobody knows what
their next plan is. So, to avoid problem, I
prefer to spend the Christmas indoors,” a
resident who asked to not to be named
said.
Our correspondent who went round some
of the churches to monitor the situation
noted that there was low turnout of
worshippers in most of the churches in
the state capital.
“Most residents usually travel out of the
state or the state capital to celebrate the
Christmas but this year, it appeared the
number of people who travelled out of
Bauchi was high because our church was
half full,” a middle-aged man who
worships at the Living Faith Church, a.ka.
Winners’ Chapel in the state capital,
informed the reporter.
The resident who preferred anonymity
said he was surprised that for the first
time, a mobile policeman in uniform
patrolled their backyard as part of the
security measures.
“He was not there to worship. He was
going round the place. Later he went back
to meet his colleagues,” he said.
At the ECWA 1 near Abubakar Tafawa
Balewa University Teaching Hospital
(ATBUTH), Bauchi, armed soldiers and
gun-wielding mobile policemen were seen
patrolling the vicinity while a few were
stationed at the gate.
At the St John Catholic Church near
Wunti, the situation was not different. It
was the same situation in churches such
as the Baptist Church located at Yandoka,
and the ECWA Church in Yelwa to mention
a few.
Unlike in the past when the streets
bubbled with activities amidst human and
vehicular movement, most of the major
streets visited such as Yankoda and
Ahmadu Bello Way were deserted.
“I would rather remain indoors and spend
the Christmas with my family. I don’t
want to risk their lives by taking them
out,” Mr Mathew Keffas told Daily Sun.
“Last year I took them to Zaranda Hotel
for a Christmas party. But this year I am
not taking them out because of the
security situation,” Mathew who is a
Customs Officer based in Lagos but has
his family resident in Bauchi said.
Daily Sun investigation also revealed that
the hospitality business might have
incurred huge losses as the insecurity has
chased fun seekers from patronising their
facilities.
For example, when our reporter visited
some hotels, it was observed that the
annual Children’s Christmas party hosted
by them had been cancelled.
The swimming pool of one of the hotels,
which served as the venue of the Children
Christmas party, was deserted with a
handful of children swimming.
A man in his late 20s or early 30s at the
hotel’s swimming pool lamented that the
security situation was having a negative
impact on their business.
Most other joints that served as venue for
social gatherings witnessed notably low
patronage.
The situation is worsened by the fact that
most civil servants in the state received
their salaries just few days to Christmas.
Most of them were seen at Automated
Teller Machines (ATM) trying to make
withdrawals.
They complained that most of the paying
machines in the banks were not working,
frustrating the plans they had to travel or
buy Christmas things.
“I managed to withdraw some money
yesterday (December 24) but even at that,
the Central Market where I normally
bought things has been bombed. I don’t
even know where to start,” Kauna Joseph,
who works with the state Ministry of
Health, lamented.
A lecturer with the Federal Polytechnic,
Bauchi who pleaded anonymity
commended the authorities for making
electricity available since Christmas Eve.
“I have gone to service my generator
because my family and I will remain
indoors. But I am happy that PHCN has
been generous with electricity,” he said.
The situation was hardly different in
Borno and Yobe, two states currently
under Boko Haram siege. In both states,
nothing showed it was Christmas.
Residents said the incessant Boko Haram
attacks and restriction of movement in
the two states by the military authorities,
made the Christmas day appear like every
other day.
“Nothing shows today is Christmas here,”
53-year-old Nehemiah Buba, a Maiduguri
resident, told the reporter. “We can’t even
come out. I have been indoors with my
family and we couldn’t go to church on
Christmas day because of the ban on
movement of vehicles in Borno. This is the
first time in my life that I observe
Christmas indoors, without any
celebration.”
The military in Maiduguri and Damaturu,
the capitals of Borno and Yobe states,
had on Monday announced restriction on
vehicular movement from 6pm on
Wednesday December 24 to 7am Sunday,
December 28, citing intelligent reports
which indicated planned attacks by Boko
Haram during the Christmas period.”
“Security reports at the disposal of the
Headquarters of 7 Division Nigerian Army
indicated concerted efforts by the Boko
Haram terrorists to unleash mayhem on
some parts of Borno State and in
particular, the city of Maiduguri during
Christmas celebration,” spokesman of the
7 Division of the Nigerian Army in
Maiduguri, Colonel Sani Usman said
through a statement made available to
reporters.
He said the measure became necessary to
protect lives and property of the people of
the states from Boko Haram attacks. With
this, all roads within the cities and towns
as well as highways into and out of the
two states were shut down to prevent
entry and exit out of the area.
Streets and roads in Maiduguri and
Damaturu were largely deserted
throughout the Christmas Day. Tunde
Alakija, an undergraduate, said the initial
apprehension of possible attacks during
the Christmas might have also scared
people from walking around, even with
the ban on movement of vehicles, at least
to greet friends and loved ones.
“Anyhow, we thank God. At least
everything is calm,” he stated, adding that
he took some children to the Sanda
Kyarimi Zoological Garden located at the
heart of the city to relax. “They’re children
and they need such things, else they will
miss the opportunity in life because of the
security situation. But in all, there are no
social activities,” he told Daily Sun.
Few churches opened for Christmas Day
service on Thursday, said Mr. David
Olutayo, a church worker. He, however,
said even fewer members turned up for
services.
“It was difficult for most people who live
far from their churches to attend
Christmas Day service, so attendance
was very poor,” he disclosed.
Attendance at the Christmas services at
EYN (Church of the Brethren Nigeria),
Goodnews Church and Anglican Church
located at Wulari-Jerusalem ward was
fair while Baptist Church, The Apostolic
Church, Catholic Church, C&S Church at
the Post Office Area, got fewer members.
Unlike other churches in most parts of the
country that held Christmas Eve or
Christmas Carol service on the night of
Wednesday, December 24, all churches in
Borno and Yobe states suspended such
church services.
The situation in Damaturu, Yobe State
capital, was also the same, as most
people remained indoors. However,
tricycle operators popularly call Keke
NAPEP were allowed to transport
residents within the capital.
“You can only go to any place you intend
to with this means of transportation, and
that’s just within the town,” Abdullahi
Adamu explained.
Meanwhile, thousands of persons
displaced by Boko Haram from the
communities who now take refuge at
various Internally displaced persons
(IDPs) camps in Maiduguri said they
were not celebrating Christmas.
“What celebration are you talking about
when we’ve been cut off from our
ancestral home? I haven’t seen two of my
grown-up sons since July when Boko
Haram raided our community in Gwoza.
How does one celebrate when I am living
like a destitute in my own country,” an
elderly man, one of the displaced persons
at the Christian Centre who did not want
his name mentioned, told the reporter on
phone.
Recounting his ordeal in the hands of the
insurgents and the pain he has been
going through, the man said nothing was
worth celebrating again to him until Boko
Haram insurgents were wiped out of the
North-East, his community restored and
his sons reunited with him. “I don’t even
know if they are dead,” he lamented.
Hundreds of under-aged children
orphaned by Boko Haram are kept at the
centre managed by the Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN), Borno State
chapter. Their destiny has indeed
changed. Indeed, Christmas can only
make meaning to them when they
surmount the hurdles of life and be
reunited with their parents, said Mr. Eliza
Mamman.