Today, I saw the meaning of ‘stray bullet’… -By Bukky Shonibare

I was just driving into the HQ of a government establishment when the crossfire began. Within seconds, it had escalated; so much so that we had to quickly bend and crawl swiftly to get to the reception area for safety. I used the file I was holding to cover my head as though it was hard enough to bounce off a bullet.

Bullets were flying. Stray bullets.

I was so scared!

Where we were was close enough to the theatre of ‘war’ for a stray bullet to hit someone close by. Thank God it hit the person’s arm. Blood all over. What if it hit his chest? Or head? Or a more delicate part? To now read that the NYSC corp member with Channels TV died from a stray bullet makes this even more scary.

We were prevented from stepping out of the building for some time. By the time we got out, the smell and smoke was like that of a war zone. In my 16 years of living in Abuja, I have never seen this city so unsafe.

My take is that the Shi’ite issue could/should have been managed more cautiously; rather than letting it escalate to a point where innocent lives are lost. I mean, we have the ongoing 10-year-long Boko Haram insurgency to learn from. Do we want another insurrection?

While this is worrisome, it is never too late to restrategize on how best to handle this issue.

May God rest the souls of the departed, and console their grieving families.

…
Bukky Shonibare