Mammy Market at 23 Brigade in Yola has remained a ghost of itself even before the lockdown caused by COVID19 pandemic and has since taken over by snakes , scorpions, already disconnected from electricity.
The shutdown of the market has motivated a protests as widows of soldiers killed by the Boko Haram terrorists and wives of soldiers currently fighting the insurgents in Maiduguri, Madagali , Mubi , Garkida says the market was only sources of their income.
Protested women were drown from the Army Barracks and an ex-soldiers settlement closed to the Barracks called Bachure said their hardships and sufferings began when current Brigade Commander, Brigadier General, Mohammad Garba Sani was deployed to Adamawa state to head the brigade.
They pleaded for anonymity for fear of their husbands being published by the authorities of the Army in Yola and noted that the commander is a despotic leader who is heartless towards the poor and not ready to listens to his subordinates in office.
” We have tried every means to make him understand but he refused to listen, that is why we resolved to take to force him change his mind”
” Simply because some of us are selling alcohol, Brukutu we were driven out of market” she said
The source said most of these women selling Brukutu are wives of soldiers killed by the Boko Haram terrorists and just trying to survive.
She said the brigade commander did provide any atternative for them adding that his actions have multiple our sufferings and pains
” Many Brigade Commanders served in Yola , we have never reported any to the press , why has his own different, imagine the commander instead of renovating our houses that is liking when it is raining we look for one corner to stand until the rain ended before we go to sleep , his concerns is fence the Barracks”
“We are not against his fencing but he should considered the welfare of human beings before any thing.” She said
Another source said, the commander also lockdown the Barracks totally, banned motorcycle which was a former arrangement by former commanders to ease movement within the Barracks. Soldiers have to trek 6 to 8 km before getting their offices .
She said even when the state government ease the lockdown, the Barracks is totally lockdown and we cannot access food for our family.
All efforts to get the reaction of the commandant failed
