By Evelyn Usman
One of the five persons who sustained bullet wounds during last week’s attack on Girkau community in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State by suspected bandits is lying helpless at the Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), unable to afford the N190,000 required for a
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,MRI and Computed Tomography CT scan , prescribed by doctors.
The victim, 30-year-old Jamilu Abubakar, was shot in the back by suspected bandits while returning from his farmland, where he had gone to harvest millet.
Abubakar, who spoke in an inaudible tone with the aid of an interpreter from his hospital bed, said he had lost sensation from his chest down to his lower limbs since he was shot.
His hope of raising the required amount is dim, as he revealed that his father is physically challenged and begs to feed his family.
According to him, “I cannot feel anything from my chest down to my lower limbs. Even if they pierced me with a sharp object, I cannot feel it. Doctors attending to me have requested a CT scan and MRI to determine the extent of the injury, but my family is unable to raise the amount required for the test. The Radiographer said it will cost N190,000, but we don’t have the money.”
Recounting how he was shot, Abubakar said he was returning from his farmland after harvesting millet when he sighted the armed men and attempted to flee.
“When I saw the armed men, I tried to run, but they shot me in the back. I was on the floor until they left. My father and other people who came out of hiding managed to rush me to the hospital. I have been given drips, but further treatment will depend on the outcome of the CT scan.
“My father is crippled. He begs to eat and uses the money he gets from begging to feed his children. Now, we don’t have money for my treatment,” he stated, appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to come to his aid.
Meanwhile, five persons have now been confirmed dead in the attack. Those killed were identified as Abubakar Zagu, popularly known as Dogon Attah; Abubakar Aliyu; Babangida Chali; and Adamu Dan Gashuwa Dukura.
The other injured victims were identified as Dahru Dantunba, Jamilu Madugu, Sani Danbuga, the community secretary, and Basiru Dansalah.
Meanwhile, the latest military operation has brought renewed hope to residents of some communities in Kebbe Local Government Area who had been living in fear after receiving threat letters from bandits.
Residents said the presence of troops and their incursion into the forests, where weapons, ammunition and motorcycles were recovered, had boosted their confidence and reassured them that the terrorists could be pushed back.
However, they appealed to the military not to withdraw from the area immediately, stressing that a sustained presence was necessary to prevent the criminals from regrouping and returning to the communities.
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