Mrs Iyoha
By Amah
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Mrs. Elizabeth Rosemary Iyoha, a widow, has raised alarm over the whereabouts of her son whom she alleged had been abducted.
The woman’s agony is heightened by the fact that years after the alleged abduction and killing of her husband by militants, and the disappearance of Augustine, her first son, who worked as a security guard, yet another son, Emmanuel, has also gone missing and reportedly kidnapped by unknown persons. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Speaking at Ohe, Uru in Esan Central LGA of Edo State, she said: “Every day feels heavier. My husband, gone; Augustine, vanished; and now Emmanuel has been taken from me, once again. I keep asking myself, why my family? It’s like I’m cursed to live this nightmare over and over.”
Mrs Iyoha feels vulnerable and betrayed and said she suspected connivance between the criminals and people that should have given her the security she deserves as a citizen of Nigeria.
“They’re failing us, all of us. They talk about these criminals like they’re ghosts, untouchable… yet they know where they are. They could act, but they don’t. Instead, we’re forced to live in fear, paying for protection to those who should be protecting us. More so, the rumours that some of these killers may even wear uniforms – uniforms meant to make us feel safe – is the ultimate betrayal,” she lamented.
Augustine
“Augustine, my first son, worked with a security group, defending those in need. But sometime before his disappearance, he started acting differently; he became secretive, withdrawn. I think he discovered something dangerous, something he couldn’t escape from. Now, Emmanuel is caught in the same trap, and I’m powerless to stop it. I live in constant dread that the phone will ring with news I can’t bear.
“My husband, Augustine, Emmanuel; they’re all entangled in this web of violence and corruption. My husband tried to stand up to these people, and it cost him his life. Now they’re tearing my family apart, and all I can do is watch. Nobody has come to our aid; It’s as if these criminals have become the real rulers here.”
On whether she is still hopeful to see Emmanuel again, she said with a tinge of despair: “Hope? Every mother clings to hope; even when it kills her. I’ve already buried a husband torn to pieces, and one son has vanished. I know what they’re capable of, and I fear every moment Emmanuel is gone. But I must hold on to hope. If I don’t, who else will?
“Mothers like me are left to endure this agony, watching our children being hunted down. Are we just numbers on a piece of paper?”
Speaking further, she lamented that Nigeria is challenged in every front, as there seems to be no safe place anywhere.
“I wonder… where is safety in Nigeria anymore? In the North, where Boko Haram and bandits have driven families into camps, destroying lives and dreams? Or in the Middle Belt, where farmers and herders clash so violently that blood stains the soil? In the South-west and South-east, where ritualists and unknown gunmen bring terror, hiding behind claims of freedom? Even in the South-south, fear is a constant shadow. Is there any place left that feels like home?
“All I want is peace… and to know my children are safe. Is that too much to ask?”
