By Jonathan Ishaku

The story you’re about to read is so touching. I woke up to see it in my inbox and my mind has been so troubled. The reason being that as a professional journalist I don’t share unverified stories on a public medium.

But supposed this is true and someone is relying on me to get the story out? My instinct, however, is that it’s true and this is somebody’s cry for help.

Let”s all help this poor orphan: This is her story, her father Aliyu Adamu a Christian who worked as a cleaner at JUTH from 1995 to 2001, died during the Jos crisis of 2001.

Her mum was 7 months pregnant at that time. With the shocking news of the death of her husband, the woman gave birth to her (Blessing) prematurely. This girl was not incubated because the mother was a hawker and didn’t have the money and there was no one to help.

The husband’s relatives are from Zamfara state and are Muslim they left that woman alone to Carter for the kids alone. Now, this girl grew up without a father and not even a grave for her to see what is left of her dad. Without her father’s relation, without food basically nothing. She has two elder sisters, her mum struggled day and night to feed them basically from begging people for food.

Because her father did not work for long his benefits was 90 thousand at that time, the mother got a machine worth 30thousand and gave it out for hire purchase it was not long when it collapses.

Now, on the 24th of this month people called this girl to bukuru and get palliative but she refused stating that she was afraid of being killed.

Unfortunately, she went out yesterday when she saw hundred of people in her area going to Dogon Dustse to claim palliatives but got there and discovered that it was not food, and she was caught up by the STF.

This orphan girl has never been caught stealing despite the hardship she went through and still goes through growing up. Even at the moment there is no single palliative or anything that is stolen, now she has no help. She is all alone. This is Blessing Aliyu’s story an orphan who doesn’t know her father. She is there and will be prosecuted as a thief. Please sir, have pity on this innocent girl and tell her story to the world.

What you have read is a story I have pulled from the Facebook page of veteran journalist Mr. Jonathan Ishaku and published having sought his permission. The post was made on 28th October 2020 –and I am pleased to report that there is now an update to the effect that Blessing has been released. But, her story is so compelling and gripping that I thought to share anyway.

May God keep us all.

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The very sad story of Blessing Aliyu