In tears, her elder sister, Caroline Anande, a widow with
seven children narrated her younger sister’s close shave with death to Abuja
Metro. According to the Sun,Geri could not talk to us, but could only write
down responses relating to the incident, because her tongue was almost cut off,
her mouth terribly wounded by bullets robbers shot at her mouth. She could not
turn her head either because the bullet hit part of her neck. She lay
helplessly in bed with sanitary tissues stuffed into the mouth to suck up
saliva that drips uncontrollably from there. She indicated that they had lived
in the same area of Abuja for over five years. Geri’s trouble further burdens
her elder sister whose late husband was buried just three months ago. “My heart
is heavy, I am heartbroken looking at my sister lying in pains, she was
supporting me immensely with the little income since my husband died. We had
been managing to cope with our lean resources until armed robbers surfaced to
wipe sleep away from our eyes.” This poor widow explained that Geri, always
leaves home at 4:30am for work, though she left at 5am that morning, because of
the daily traffic on the Nyanya-Mararaba express But she couldn’t get to
Abuja-Keffi expressway to board a bus that will convey her to town that day.
“My sister testified after regaining consciousness on a written note, how a
masked armed robber snatched her phone and handbag. Thereafter, commanded her
to undress, she pleaded with them, they were two men the unmasked man was
behind backing them while the operation was going on. But, they shouted at her
to undress amid her pleas explaining that she was menstruating. But these evil
agents insisted on raping her In the struggle, she screamed loud in fear for
help, and that angered the armed man wearing mask that shot a bullet into her
mouth and vanished, leaving her unconscious and bleeding. It was an okada rider
residing within their vicinity that called to inform the sister of the
incident. “In fact, I was devastated seeing her helpless on the ground. Sincerely
I thought she was already dead with the quantity of blood on the ground and on
her body from heavy bleeding. I remain thankful to God and my neighbours who
assisted to take her to the Nyanya General hospital where received initial
treatment to revive her before she was referred to the Maitama General Hospital
where they told us that her was affected by the shot and her tongue almost
chopped off. At the time of visit, she still had stitches on her tongue and
teeth and as a result cold neither eat nor talk.After spending 10 days at the
hospital, she was discharged and referred to National Hospital or Zaria for
further medical attention. Geri’s sister is grateful to God and everyone that
has shown them love in the incident, their neighbours and especially Ahmed
Musa, presenter of the Brekete Family radio programme that aired story of
Geri’s encounter. “The Brekete Family supported us with N100,000 which he paid
to the hospital himself to ensure my sister’s urgent treatment. We have been
going to the Gwagwalada General Hospital for medical treatment. Though, I am
facing the challenges of feeding and transportation, because my sister until
this unfortunate incident was the bread winner of my family. I am a widow with
seven children without any source of livelihood. And she is still living with
bullet inside her body. The hospital said a surgery to remove the pellets would
only be possible after the wound in her mouth healed. We believe God for her
healing and the possibility of financial provision for the surgery.” During our
visit, Geri managed to scribble on paper a call to people to assist her in
prayers and make monetary provision to enable her pick the medical bills and
undergo the surgery to remove the bullets lodged in her body. “I need
assistance relieve my sister’s burden, she is unemployed and not engaged in any
form of trade, because of financial incapacity to cater for her seven children,
who are also not attending school. I call for help from anybody that cares to
see me through this predicament.” Also speaking Mrs. Abubakar Ahmed, a staff of
NIPOST who lives in the same area explained the level of insecurity in their
community and how bitter he feels about Geri’s condition. “In fact, it is a
tradition for us to leave this community as early as 4:30am to our places of
work in the city because of the terrible traffic on the Nyanya-Mararaba road.
We have local security outfits that guard the area at night till 5am leaving us
to our fate for the day. The need to leave very early for work is what mainly
exposes us to security risks on the way and that is because we need to leave
that early to escape the traffic jam on the way.” Another resident Adak Sabo, a
road safety marshal also spoke with Abuja Metro the insecurity challenges and
traffic problem. “In fact, the traffic problem exposes us to risk of riding on
bike on the expressway in the morning to get to our places of work on time.
Geri’s incident has become a restraint on me not leave that early again
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