BIU: A Visit to a City on a Plateau (2)
Bashir Yahuza Malumfashi
At Last, I Came to Biu:
As I revealed in my earlier report, this is the first time I am visiting Biu. It was precisely on Wednesday 10-04-1445 (Hijrah) equivalent to 25-10-2013 (Milad). I disembarked by 7:30pm, and noticed by then that most of the people had already observed their Isha prayer. I got a red-carpet reception from an ardent, benevolent friend, Umar Mohammed Maidala.
One may ask, how was the journey from Abuja to Biu? Exactly, it is good for me to explain in a few details how we spent almost the whole day on the road to reach Biu. In the past, I had travelled to some of the States or towns neghbouring Biu, like Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa and have been to Jos, Lafia and Keffi that share the same route but for Biu I’m a first timer.
In my planning for this August trip, I had ruled out driving my car. This was due to so many reasons that include, the exorbitant cost of petroleum, lack of clear knowledge about the road, and to avoid many traffic hassles and other inconveniences. I therefore decided to join public transport to Biu. I was adequately briefed to go to Nyanya/Mararraba in Nassarawa State to board a bus to Gombe for onward transition to Biu.
On the D-Day, right by 5:40am after Subhi congregational prayer, I hired an okada rider who ferried me to Zuba motor park. I boarded a taxi to Nyanya where another okada rider took me to Sani Abacha Terminal. Clad with my bag, many touts approached me, trying to know where I was going to. I mentioned Gombe not knowing there were commercial buses direct to Biu. One of the touts collected my bag and I trailed behind to the park. Some few meters to the bus, I heard another tout calling for passengers, “Biu, are you going to Biu, Alhaji?”
Upon hearing the mention of Biu, I sighed a relief and quickly replied to the second tout that I was going to Biu. The first tout that was carrying my bag became alarmed and disturbed, sensing a ‘bad market’ from his colleague. He swiftly handed the bag to him and left for his business. I was not lucky enough to secure a seat in the first bus going to Biu but the second one on the queue. It was a red painted Sharon. They charged N13,200 per passenger. After I collected my receipt, I inquired why they added the N200. They told me that it was a sort of levy on each passenger enjoying the services of the park. “So even passengers were not left out in paying motor park tax?” I grumbled inaudibly. We took off on our journey to Biu exactly by 8:00am.
The driver of the bus, a man of frail stature aka Ɗanfulani was very skillful and knows his work very well. I noticed a coincidence in the sense that almost all of us in the vehicle were heading to Biu for a similar mission though unknown to each other. We were to attend the turban ceremony of three illustrious sons of Biu. The emir of Biu, His Royal Highness, Mai Mustapha Umar Mustapha II conferred traditional titles on various personalities of repute, including the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai, CFR (retired) as Betara of Biu. Among us in the bus were senior and junior army officers, a Federal Road Safety Commission of Nigeria staff and a lady, a fellow journalist.
According to the sitting arrangement, apart from the driver two people were to share the seats at the front but one man paid for the slots and sat alone. It was later we came to know that he was the former NYSC national Chairman, Brigadier-General Mohammed Pada. He was also going to witness the occasion. He intimated us that he preferred to join public transport for the journey in order to wade off boredom. We really enjoyed his company for he was generous, paid for most of our little purchases along the way. More so, he guided us through most of the military checkpoints we encountered on the road.
The ride was cosy because we didn’t encounter any hassle. Another thing worthy to note on the road was that most of the towns enroute Biu right from Abuja share similar topography with the former – a plateau of a sort and agrarian. In Nassarawa State, we passed through Keffi, Akwanga, Gwantu and Fadan Karshi. At Riyom in Plateau State, we noticed people, mostly women and children working on their farms thrashing rice and acca corn.
We arrived Jos by 11:36am. The skilled driver knows the terrain and thus avoided problematic routes. To pass through, he used the Jos bypass of many bends. We sighted the Lamingo Dam from afar with sunflowers beautifully decorating the surroundings. We stopped at a filling station in Jos where we had our breakfast. We continued the journey till we passed Fanshanu Mountain, one of the historical sites declared as National Monument in 1956 by the National Museum of Nigeria. I heard a lot about the mountain.
We arrived Bauchi State through Tilden Fulani town to Zaranda. By 4:16pm we were in Gombe State and stopped at a filling station owned by Barkidi Oil Nig. Limited. We observed our combined Zuhur and Asr prayers at a mosque beside the station. It was a beautiful mosque but lacked portable water. General Pada had to send one of the junior army officers to buy sachets of water for us to observe ablution before the prayer.
The journey continued till we reached a certain point where road work was on-going. The road was terribly bad, hence the driver had to tread with utmost caution. We encountered more military checks till we reached Ƙwaya Kusar by 6:27pm. All thanks be to Allah for at last we arrived Biu by exactly 7:30pm.
My First Glimpse of Biu Town:
As I mentioned in my earlier report, this was my first visit to Biu though I had heard a lot about the town, more especially about the great people, its rich culture and traditions etc. Despite the handy information I had about the town I never in my wildest imagination thought to witness such an enormity.
I was quite aware that Biu is among the largest local government areas in Borno State. Therefore, I thought it to be just like any other normal towns in Northern Nigeria. But to my surprise, I found it enormous and bigger than what I imagined. As we arrived in the night, everywhere was well lit with electricity – by a sort of floodlight. The major roads in the city were dualised, traffic was agog, people were busy.
Another thing that strikes and caught my attention upon arrival at Biu was the hospitality of the people. I noticed it right from my fellow commuters in our bus because most of them were of Biu origin. They treated me with kindness and generosity till our arrival. Moreso the way and manner I was received by my good friend, Malam Maidala was very commendable. Even before he escorted me to my hotel lodge, he took me to one of the best restaurants in the town. We had a refreshing dinner. I really enjoyed a fish pepper-soup among other delicacies. I was lodged at Yamele Hotel situated along Damaturu Road.
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In the third part of this travelogue, expect more revelations about Biu. These include the neat and tidy nature of its people, the town and its good planning. The issue of religion, their love and maintenance of peace will also feature.
Your report was so explicit that I visualize the events as if I was in the bus. Bravo and keep it up!
Thank you very much Dan Kishin Ƙasa. Am very grateful for the goodwill. Your interview is on the line in sha Allah.