Ringtrue By Yemi Adebowale 08054699539Â Email: yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com
For years, Sokoto State was the most peaceful up North. It was immune from religious riot, kidnapping, banditry and all sorts of terrorism associated with most states in this region. I often remember my NYSC days in this once beautiful state with so much nostalgia. Back then, we frequently roved from one end of the state to the other, visiting co-NYSC members, from Ilela to Tangaza, to Gudu, Tureta, Sabon Birni and further. All these are now history. My beloved Sokoto is now one of the states under the servitude of Fulani militias, with unending stories of innocent people being killed and maimed. The last three years have been horrendous.
people driving away from home as smoke and flames engulf nearly everything. listen to evacuees tell what they managed to escape with. everything else can be replaced, but my babies can t be replaced. they just can t. it s my mom s mom s and and these were real important to her, my sister s wedding dress in the back. i have oklahoma s governor on the phone right now. mary fallon who just finished touring some of the hardest-hit areas. what s the toughest challenge that you re incurring right now? well, the toughest challenge, rob, right now is that it s still very, very hot outside. your state was up to 115 in some areas of the state. we, of course, are in the middle of a big drought in our state. we need rain and cool temperatures desperately, but we have all of the resources out working very, very hard. we re coordinating fire command centers, but i don t have a total estimate on the number of acres left, but from what i can best guess we re probably about 60,000 acr