I saw what I will later refer to as a ‘mask of the beast’ on February 26, 2012, in Jos.
It was that period when it was raining bombs in certain parts of the country and Sundays marked as unsafe due to the frequency of blasts in places of worship.
Jos, the capital of Plateau State was embroiled in crises and was having its share of the blasts.
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The Mountains of Fire and Miracle Chuch, off Murtala Mohammed Way, around VIO had ‘answered’ and so had the St. Finbar Catholic Church at Rayfield.
On that cold morning of February 26, a killer with more than a death wish, unknown to many, had targeted the COCIN headquarters, intending to take as many as he could with him to the great beyond.
There were many versions of how he gained entry into the premises but the most popular was that a security vehicle which was passing by had commanded the security men at the gate of the church to open the gate for the vehicle.
Few lived to corroborate the story in an incident that the eye witness is usually the first casualty.
I came in about ten minutes after the blast.
I was far away in another part of the town when it occurred, but the window of the building I was shook like dry leaves in harmattan vibrating with some eerie sounds that fizzled out almost immediately as it came. I was wondering what had caused the vibration when moments later, my phone rang.
The call was from a CNN correspondent who had my number. He asked if I’m aware of the bomb blast that was said to have rocked the COCIN church in Jos and if I could give him some details.
I told him I had no idea and promised to find out. My mind went to the unusual vibration.
I picked my car and left for the place by which time the entire premises was in commotion.
The live mask was one the first things I saw on gaining entry into the premises.
Someone had picked it from the ground.
It wobbled loosely in the hands of the one that picked it. It was part of what used to be a human head. But it was empty with no bones or tissues.
It was literal, but also a metonymic representation of the human head.
It was the peeled face of the suicide bomber, the man who had rammed his Golf car on the church building rocking the entire building and shattering window panes far and near.
The car, as it turned out, was laden with gas cylinders and immediately it hit the walls of the church, kaboom!
Parts of th metal that was the car shattered, but the other parts congealed, and right beside the wreck was where the mask, a skin mask that was his face, was picked.
It peeled off as if excoriated with a pen knife leaving the face and the body which were blown to pieces by the effect of the blast.
It was an excruciating experience as a reporter; an incident that contained many stories, especially that of the young banker who was lynched by a mob on the suspicion that he was the second suicide bomber.
I have cause to remember this incident nine years later because of the prison break that occured in the heart of Jos on Sunday.
Like the COCIN blast, it seemed unbelievable that such a thing could occur in the heart of Jos especially with the heavy presence of security men around the two areas.
And the question I always ask is, where did the assailants come from? Are they resident in Jos? If yes, is it possible that nobody saw them when they were planning and when they moved? and if they came from outside where did they pass?
Until we’re ready to expose the evil men and women in our midst, even when they’re our kith and kin, the threats to security would linger.
We can start with the recent Jos Prison break.
- Agbese writes from Abuja
