I graduated from the University of Maiduguri, where I studied Mass Communication, in 2019. My years at the university were marked not only by academic pursuit but also by the harrowing experiences of living through insurgency.
As a student who had witnessed the rise of Boko Haram as early as 2010, my return to Maiduguri in 2016, after a diploma programme in Bauchi, exposed me to even more devastating realities. Among them was the tragic UNIMAID mosque bombing.
It was a cool morning. I had slept late while preparing for an examination. Suddenly, a soul-shaking blast tore through the calm. The sound alone felt like it took our spirits away. From the second floor of New Male B hostel, we could hear and feel the vibration.
The attack, carried out by a suicide bomber, targeted the staff quarters’ mosque. It claimed the lives of academics and their family members, leaving the university community in shock and grief.
Studying under such conditions was nearly impossible. It was difficult to read with a clear mind or concentrate. Many of my friends, who had moved into my room for group studies, eventually vacated the hostel at their parents’ directive. The uncertainty of safety overshadowed our learning.
Another horrifying incident occurred during examinations near the BOT area. We were gathered around the classes by midnight, preparing for the next day’s exam, when a sudden blast struck. It felt like it was just ten meters away.
The impact was immediate: students panicked, some suffered asthma attacks, and many were too shaken to continue their studies that night.
No students were among the casualties of these particular attacks, yet the psychological scars were undeniable. Many struggled academically, as fear and instability became constant companions.
It felt like child’s play in retrospect, but those experiences shaped us. We eventually graduated with certificates not just in character and learning, but also in survival — learning the harsh way, learning who to trust, and learning how to keep going.
As narrated by: Nazeef Bakura (Maiduguri, Nigeria).
This snippet is published as part of a series, The Day Boko Haram Attacked.
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