The current economic hardship bidevilling Nigerians has not been fair to Mallam Mahmud Abdullahi.
The story of Abdullahi is pathetic as he lost his hunger-stricken daughter, Firdausi after eating garri, popularly known as”Kwaki” in Hausa parlance which he managed to bring home when his family – four children and a wife were severely hungry.
Abdullahi, a resident of Rimin Hamza, Sheka Dantsinke, Kumbotso Local Government area of Kano state is one of the many Nigerians suffering from the economic hardship, aggravated by the recent removal of fuel subsidy and has been battling with poverty for quite a long time.
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Abdullahi could not have a proper job as he is just a volunteer security guard who looks after tricycle parking lot in the area.
A father of six but lost one, Firdausi Mahmud, a 14-year old who told her mother that she wants to start hawking groundnut for them to have money to buy food.
Mahmud Abdullahi in front of his house: Photo Credit: Rahma TV
BizPoint correspondent visited the ramshackled house of Abdullahi, situated at a slummy area of Sheka and met him and his wife, Sadiya Abdulrahman in a devastated situation.
Abdullahi and his family live in an unplastered two bedroom apartment with a makeshift kitchen, as the toilet’s entrance has no fixed door but a flat metal screen, seen leaning against the wall, believed to be used for covering the convenience.
One of the bedrooms entered by our reporter was unkempt with no furniture, as the floor was covered by a thin rug made up of a sack.
Speaking to our correspondent, the devastated father of late Firdausi said the girl died on Monday, August 28, as a result of eating garri with sugar and water, which he could afford to bring to them as both launch and dinner.
He narrated that on that fateful day, he went out to his working place without giving his family anything to eat as he woke up ’empty-pocketed’.
According to him, when he went to the tricycle parking lot, he could only get N500 and rushed to buy the garri and sugar at a grocery shop for his family just when it was already evening.
“When i returned home, i brought them the garri and sugar to mix with water to eat. This is how we manage to live our life. I did not even care to wait and eat the garri because it would not be enough for the six of us.
“So, i bought four cups of the garri and N70 sugar. I gave them and left to go back to my working place.
Abdullahi receiving the donation in his house: Photo Credit: Rahma TV
“Around 12am, i felt the urge to return home to check my family because i had a premonition that something was happening in my house. When i returned, I met my family in a difficult situation as they all fell sick but Firdausi’s situation was worse.
“I asked what happened, my wife told me that shortly after eating that garri, they began to running stomach and vomiting. Late Firdausi was in a terrible situation as she could not even move while her eyes were wide open as she oozes foamy saliva from her mouth.
“I was confused because all my four children were sick. I was confused on how to take them to hospital. To God be the glory, i remember a pharmacist in our neighborhood. I rushed to tell him what was happening in my house.
“He rushed to my house with some drugs. He administered injections to the other three children but before he even touched Firdausi, she passed away,” he narrated.
“The following morning, we held her funeral and buried her at a cemetery. It was a terrible situation.
“I will forever miss Firdausi because she was a very nice and obedient daughter. She was enterprising as she wanted to be hawking or even work as a house help in order to take care of the house.
“As a Muslim, i accept any situation because it is Allah ‘s will. It is her time to go. I forgive her and pray to Allah to rear her soul in Jannatul Firdausi,” devastated Abdullahi said.
He disclosed that he had been in a terrible economic condition for quite a long time to the extent that he removed his children, including late Firdausi, who wished to become a medical doctor from school as he could no longer afford the school fees.
In her part, Sadiya, the mother of late Firdausi narrated that the children fell sick after eating the garri.
Although she did not believe the garri was poisoned because according to her, there was a child that did not eat it but also fell sick, Sadiya described the situation as worrisome and devastated when she saw her darling daughter dying at her presence.
Narrating the incident, the mother said the children began to develop complications barely two hours after eating the garri, which according to her, was the only meal they had throughout the day.
She said even before the children developed the complications, late Firdausi was telling her that she want to start hawking groundnut so that the money made through the hawking should be used to feed themselves.
“I told her that it is a nice idea but she would not hawk the groundnut in our area as there are many ladies selling groundnut.
“Not long ago after this conversation, she problem started and before you know it, Firdausi is died,” said the mother, who was said to have worked as a house help to fend for her children.
“Firdausi is enterprising. She wants to engage in businesses. She didn’t want to sit without doing some business but we don’t have money to give her as capital to start up the business she wanted.
“She is also brilliant in school. Even before they were removed from a private school because their father could no longer pay the school fees, Firdausi was faring very well.
The mother was deeply sad as her daughter died without fulfilling her dream of becoming a medical doctor.
Late Firdausi and her siblings are seeing a sad twist of life as they are about to be enrolled in public school after being removed from private school due to poverty.
At the time when late Firdausi, if she was to live longer, think of study, but set her mind to hawking, not because was what she wanted, but to contribute her quota towards helping her father alleviate their sufferings.
“I am crying because her dream of becoming a medical doctor has not been fulfilled. But, that is the will of Allah. It is her time to go. We pray to Allah to rear her soul in Jannatul Firdausi and give us the fortitude to bear the loss,” said Sadiya, who was speaking in tears.
BizPoint gathered a philanthropist has donated food stuff and a some of N20,000 to Abdullahi as a form of palliative.
Speaking with Rahma TV, monitored by BizPoint, Abdullahi expressed happiness and gratitude for the donation.
He however pointed out that he wants to start up a business, especially as he wants to venture into butchering, a business he inherited from his grand parents, but the N20,000 would not be enough for him.
He said when he get enough money, he would start the business with a ram or goat and a table to use for cutting the meat in front of his house.
