Adamawa State Under Hoodlums — Shila Boys -By Omar Muaz

Adamawa is one of the largest States in Nigeria and occupies about 36,917 square kilometers. It is bordered by the states of Borno to the Northwest, Gombe to the West, and Taraba to the Southwest. Its Eastern border forms the national Eastern border with Cameroon. [Aga & Chiegeonu 2009]. Since Gongola State carved out Taraba State and got renamed to Adamawa State, the land of beauty, in 1991, the state had always been a peaceful place until the outbreak of farmers and herders’ crisis, ethno-religious crisis, Boko Haram insurgency and the current criminal elements known as Shila Boys.

The Hausa word “Shila” means an infant, a baby, or a young person. Therefore, Shila Boy means a baby boy and is pluralized as Shila Boys. From its technical sense; Shila boys are hoodlums known for stealing, snatching valuables, and committing other unlawful crimes stemmed from Adamawa State.

Precisely 2017, the third year of the previous administration, marked the beginning of Shila Boys which unleashed terrorism in the state. The hoodlums, Shila boys, began these heinous attacks invisibly before they started to operate at their free will.

Before, Shila Boys had their dress code that most people and security operatives could identify them. They used to wear punk or old school hair-cut style, with rubber t-shirts, jeans or very tight trousers and high-heeled male shoes. Today, there are some sudden stirs of theirs that many people and even the security operatives don’t detect. Yet, most of them still adhere to such dress codes while some of them barely have any of the aforementioned features. And you can only know them when they keep making some snell phone calls.

The criminals, Shila boys, operate whenever they get the chance to, more especially during nighttime. Their topmost priority is to snatch people’s phones or to rob but could kill when one refuses to cooperate. Although, their operations are of different kinds which include snatching of phones, stealing, and robbery.

My friend was once a victim. Before writing this short piece, I interviewed him on how they trapped him. His words read:

I was standing, out of haste, waiting for a tricycle by the side of gate 1, Jimeta modern market, around 5pm. A tricycle driver asked me politely, “To where?” “Upper Nepa” I respectfully responded. “Get in” he muttered.

As we moved, just close to the new site of Fredy’s System Consult Limited, a guy who has a good looking stopped us and said, “Tsohon Kasuwa (Old market).” He sat by my left side. Boom! We have reached Haske junction where the good-looking guy was supposed to be alighted. He requested the tricycle driver to alight him right at gate 2 of the Tsohon Kasuwa (Old market). “Oga can we— ?” Said the tricycle driver to me. I, without hesitation, halted him and said “No problem.”

As we alighted him, two guys stopped us and said, “Bakin Kogi.” Then, I started to have a kind of friend feeling as things seemed not all right to me. The tricycle driver drove us there, that we would follow Zoo road. I absurdly nodded, “No problem.”

As we reached the roundabout down there, the two guys, without fear, asked me if I had seen their phones. I surprisingly said “How possible?” Before I could blink, one of them slapped me, the other guy too as well as the tricycle driver. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sincerely speaking, Adamawa State people, more especially those in Jimeta, Yola town, and Girei are not safe. They, the Shila Boys, are operating at free will, unchallenged, snatching phones and valuables and inflicting injuries on their victims. Most of them are aged between 14 and 18. Adamawa State will fall, Indeed it will, because for the past five years, Jimeta is experiencing this issue of Shila boys.

Unemployment, to me, is one of the reasons that gave birth to all these violent youths in the state. And of course, some stakeholders have alleged that the main reason for such criminals and their evil acts was the absence of recreational centres like Farming Skills Acquisition Centres (FSAC) and Local Apprenticeship Skills (LAS) programmes. It is remorseful to note that since the impeachment of Governor Murtala H. Nyako in 2014, Adamawa State government has never officially employed its citizens in large numbers. Even though an attempt was made towards the end of the tenure of the former governor, Muhammad Umar Jibrilla Bindow, it was marred by favouritism and godfatherism by the officials.

Today, education isn’t a priority as it was during the administration of Murtala H. Nyako before his impeachment. The previous administration of Umar Jibrilla Bindow annihilated the education sector to the extent that the National Universities Commission (NUC) unranked Adamawa State University, Mubi. Basic education wasn’t accessible and hitherto, the problem with our education is unsolved. In the same case, our parents don’t study their children’s friends or provide enough for their children so that no one will lead them into such social vices.

The abandoned Farming Skills Acquisition Centres (FSAC) in the rural areas which were meant to train farmers on necessary skills to improve their yield and its quality should be restored. The abdicated programmes like youth empowerment programme, known as Local Apprenticeship Scheme (LAS) which was training youths on twenty-one (21) marketable trades and the Vocational Skills Training Centres and Technical Training Centres manned by German consultants should all be reformed.

To end these criminals and their acts, I suggest people stop taking action in their hands and the security personnel should handle the cases appropriately because jungle justice is never a solution. And when it comes to education, the government should make education accessible, or if possible, free and compulsory as outlined in the National Policy on Education (NPE). And our parents have a great role to play by supporting their children and taking their time to study their children’s friends. In January, Nepa parents collaborated to deal with the menace in that area, although the collaboration got no feet to stand, there were positive results in the start.

Neither Shila boys nor their criminal act is justifiable and commendable. It saddens me to come to realize that those hoodlums are our brothers. Why are they different and their acts are getting out of hands and yet, the government seems to pay no attention to it?

May Adamawa State, Nigeria and the rest of the world have its peace back.

Omar Muaz