A few weeks after I investigated the mindless killings of unsuspecting locals by Ba’Beli armed group operating between the Bauchi-Plateau border, pictures from the fieldwork still disrupt my mental health. It was a tale of death, grief and tension.
The lawless Ba’Beli local security operatives help flush out criminal elements in society, locals believe; but without proper investigation, they kill innocent souls at times.
It was on June 30, 2022, I can recall, vividly. The crispy morning was cool but somewhat harsh on me. My phone rang and the update was, “the remains of the six people earlier declared missing have been found.” They were arbitrarily arrested in Langai community, a suburb between the states of Bauchi and Plateau.
One and a half kilometres away from the scene, commuters were stranded and denied passage, apparently by irate sympathisers, and relatives of the slain locals.
HARVEST OF DEAD BODIES
The scene was horrid. For many like me, it was the first time to see inhuman mutilation of human bodies — in fact, the one I know personally.
Hundreds of sympathisers and relatives gathered in a thick forest in Lere community in Tafawa Balewa local council, Bauchi State.
The forest is also named Sambisa to reflect the inhumane and mindless killing in a way similar to notorious Boko Haram insurgents.
A day before, three decomposed bodies were discovered, but it was late to carry out the funeral services. Their relatives and many others wailed uncontrollably — I did too.
They include Isah Jafar, Alhaji Goma and one other person simply identified as Babangida.
For me, it was a nightmare; the victims were severely tortured, then slaughtered, and dumped under the scorching sun to decompose. It was a feast first for worms and other carnivore insects.
Their blood dried up around their slit throats. Also, some parts of their bodies were amputated.
One of the bodies (Jafar) was almost eaten up by the worms, and it was the person I know intimately.
The third one, Alhaji Goma, was pulled out from a well where he was dumped. The odour oozing out from the well was unbearable. Although, their clothes were intact, making them easy to identify.
They got a mass congregational funeral prayer (as per Islamic ) but were buried separately in different shallow graves.
Meanwhile, two others persons who were declared missing at almost the same time were not discovered, but their clothes were found a few metres from the bodies of the other slain locals.
Also declared missing, were two other victims arrested during the same period. A cloth belonging to one of them would later be found on a shrub inside the forest.
HIS LAST WORDS
Auwal Jumba was sleeping in his house when the lawless Ba’Beli group invaded his house and killed him in place of his brother, identified as Zubairu.
Jumba was killed and dumped at Mungi village in Mangu LG of Plateau State. Though I did not witness his burial, tales by his grieving mother were sympathetic.
His killers invaded the residence at about 3:00 am, it was evident that they were searching for his biological brother, suspected to be a criminal and earlier declared wanted.
Upon reaching the house, the suspect fled and they vented their anger on Jumba, the mother told me.
“Ba nine Zubairu ba”, meaning, “I am not the Zubairu — these were his last words according to his mother.
They shot Jumba and his leg shattered in flowing blood, the fracture was severe and the victim couldn’t remain upright.
The mother explained that they rendered an apology and were about to leave when she cried out and said “how can you leave us with him in this condition?”.
They would take him on his motorbike including the mother presumably to be taken to hospital, but the decision was later altered – they requested the mother to go home immediately.
A few minutes later, they heard a gunshot. The family was disturbed, but they concluded that sporadic gunshots by armed officers are a norm.
Four days later, Jumba’s body was found about a kilometre away from his house. With his four orphans, his swollen body was buried amid offensive odour and tearful eyes.
Despite my courage, I felt life is full of injustice especially when I looked directly at the shallow grave where he was covered, this added substance to the former ordeal.
About seven minutes later, the village was vibrating, and desperate. “That they come again”, meaning, the killers have come to “abduct” more again.
Yet, my chat with the orphaned children overtook almost everything else, and this left me speechless.
While the youngest ones didn’t know that they could no longer see their father, the older ones must believe that they could no longer go to school because their sponsor (father) was no more.
Babaji Usman Babaji is an investigative journalist with over four years of experience, renowned for his impactful reporting on corruption, human rights violations, and holding those in power accountable in Nigeria.
His career is distinguished by participation in numerous media training programs and conferences, which have honed his investigative and reporting skills. Babaji’s data-driven stories have made a significant impact, particularly in Northern Nigeria, shedding light on critical issues and driving meaningful change.
As a reporter under WikkiTimes’ Collaborative Media (CMEDIA) Project, Babaji has led several groundbreaking investigations. He was a 2022 fellow of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and a 2024 Media Foundation for West Africa DPI/DPG fellow. His contributions to accountability journalism earned him a Certificate of Recognition from Xchange Hama Media for impactful community work.
