My encounter with #Endsars mob and how God saved me….pathetic tale of mother of two

Pathetic Experience

*Ada Ide....only God saved me

By Our Reporters

An Enugu based middle aged mother of two Lilian Ada Ide Obiechina has narrated how God extricated her from harm when she ran into a mob of #endsars protesters suspected to be hoodlums who were on a looting and robbing spree of violence and destruction in Enugu recently.

Narrating her ordeal to ECD, Obiechina said “Wednesday 21^st October, 2020 will remain indelible in my mind because it was the day I almost died but God saved me. I found myself tucked inside an #Endsars mob. I mean mob not the regular protesters.

I got trapped in the midst of rampaging hoodlums. I cannot say how I wriggled past them. It can only be God. However my car was hit so hard and it left me visibly shaken and traumatised.

Most Nigerians are not very happy with the state of things in the country so supported the protest on police brutality so I wonder why the mob should also target normal ordinary people like me. They broke my windshield in the melee before God extricated me.

On the day of rage

“I was around Okpara Avenue when news that pockets of mobs were blocking all roads started circulating. My mind went to my daughters who were in school first.  I was heading to Nike to pick them up but suddenly all roads leading to anywhere was blocked. From Trans Ekulu, I turned around back towards Okpara Avenue because they had taken over the area surrounding the CBN Quarters as well as NOWAS round about.

"I thought I was free and safe. How wrong I was as I ran into them again at Ebeano tunnel roundabout traffic light. I quickly made a dash into an apiam way that connected Abakiliki road towards New Market.  As soon as I had past Ekulu primary school and driven further, just around a bend, I ran into the biggest barricade I had ever seen in my life. My heart skipped a beat. This time I was stuck and no space to turn around and flee. I saw myself face to face with death. 

"I resigned myself to whatever fate was destined for me as wild eyed looking men wielding clubs, bottles and other dangerous weapons and singing war chants were terrorizing passersby, hitting at vehicles and picking whatever they could. I thought I was going to die. I am so grateful to God.

Unholy encounter/ God in action

“On most part of my car were leaves in solidarity with the protesters. But I soon discovered that these were no more protesters. One of the men hit a club on my car and a long line of crack drew on the wind shield. Some of the men were already peering into my car which had files and documents littered. I shrunk. I was really distraught and hysterical. I was screaming that I was looking for my children and my screams may have touched one of the men who entered my car. I have never been as close to choking like I was on that day. Neither had I seen that kind of siege before in my entire life. 

"The one who had entered my car told his colleagues to leave the situation for him after listening to me in my terrified state. He then controlled the traffic commanding me to make a left turn and drive off while they continued their attack on innocent Nigerians. After parking at the NCFC building for a while, my mind told me they may return to where the car is because it is a public building. I drove off again through the new secretariat building and towards the former Ikenga Hotels. 

"The road I took drove straight to a hotel. I could see cars before or behind me reversing at this discovery but I reasoned that I needed to cool off. I was in my car for a while drenched in sweat and visibly petrified. MY Blood pressure must have risen to the skies. I had worried about my children who had safely reached home but they had told me to be where ever I was because they were safely home and all was not well. I could not imagine getting out of the frying pan and jumping into the fire. God had saved me so why could I not save myself. I checked into the hotel because I did not want to be told that there were no more rooms or that the room cost had increased.

" That night news of the burning and looting started to pop up. It continued unabated days after. Almost all the banks on Abakpa axis and fuel stations were attacked. I ended up staying at the hotel for three nights. The country must be counting its losses. No one had thought that violence could escalate in Enugu. I guess the news from around the country emboldened the hoodlums who regrouped.

 “We cannot destroy public property like bus stops and art works and monuments and think we are doing the right thing. We have often complained that we do not have enough amenities and infrastructure so destroying the few won’t serve us best. Again to also target me as well as other innocent residents is not right”

She also condemned the destruction of monuments and private and public properties across the nation including the carnage and destruction in Ogidi her home town which was widely circulated on social media.