PEACE IN NIJERIYA - by Muhammad Mercurial

EXPOSITION:In Nijeriya, when the moon rises, stories rise with it. The drums do not speak before elders, and the young do not walk ahead of wisdom. Every path knows its owner, and every word knows its weight.The thirty six Sarkin rulers in the lane of Nijeriya rule their domains with care, while the one Sarkin watches over them all, not with loud commands, but with calm authority. His strength is not in force, but in balance.Peace in Nijeriya is like a clay pot. It is shaped by many hands. If one hand fails, the pot cracks.And so, the people listen.The Sarkin listen.The land remembers.This is how the matter begins.In Sarkin Bello’s community, the morning was usually calm.Before dawn, Muhazim climbed the mosque steps to call the prayer. He adjusted the loudspeaker and stood still.“Allahu Akbar…”The sound stopped.The loudspeaker went off.Then a gunshot was heard.Gbom.Fear spread through the town. Doors shook. People froze inside their homes.Inside his palace, Sarkin Bello rose from his mat. A gunshot during prayer time was not ordinary. He understood its meaning.Messengers were sent. Elders were called.By sunrise, the people knew one thing.Peace had been disturbed in Sarkin Bello’s land.Before the sun rose fully, trouble deepened in Sarkin Bello’s community.Armed men entered the outskirts of the town. They moved fast. They took people from their homes and from the road. By the time help arrived, several people were gone.It was no longer fear alone.It was kidnapping.The message was sent immediately.Messengers rode out. Phones rang. Words traveled across Nijeriya. The message was clear and short:“Sarkin Bello’s community is under attack.”When the message reached the other Sarkin, none delayed.In his house, Sarkin Salihu was untop of his wife, moaning "yoo-waa Hajiya" heard the message, he stood up at once and said,“This is a cry for everybody.”He dressed quickly and left.In the market, Sarkin Chinedu was settling matters among traders. When the message reached him, he rose without argument, handed over his duties, and left the market.Sarkin Ade was on his farm. He dropped his tools and returned home to prepare.Sarkin Musa was in council with elders. He ended the meeting and set out.Sarkin Okoro was on the road. He turned back immediately.One after another, the thirty six Sarkin left whatever they were doing. None asked questions. None waited for details.They all moved toward one place.The palace of Sarkin Unity Musa. The overall Sarkin of the 36 Lands.By nightfall, the Sarkin gathered under one roof. Faces were heavy. Voices were low.What happened in Sarkin Bello’s community was no longer his burden aloneIt had become the burden of all.The guards struck the floor with their staffs.“Make way for Grand Sarkin Unity Musa.”Before he entered, the flute blower raised his flute and blew a slow, sad sound in respect of what had happened in Sarkin Bello’s community.The sound filled the hall.Then the doors opened.Sarkin Unity Musa entered and walked to his seat. The Sarkin rose in respect until he sat.He looked around and spoke.“Peace be upon this council.”“Amin,” they replied. “Peace be upon you too, our leader.”He paused and said,“I did not call you here for long words. Sarkin Bello’s community is in pain. Our people were taken. This council must speak with one voice. I will speak first, then I will listen.”The hall was quiet.“This matter belongs to all of us,” he continued. “Speak without fear. Speak with wisdom.”He lowered his hand.“Let the Sarkin speak.”He leaned back and waited.Sarkin Unity Musa leaned back.“Let the Sarkin speak.”Sarkin Salihu stood first.“What happened in Bello’s land pains us all,” he said. “Our people were taken while they slept. We must act fast, or fear will spread.”Sarkin Chinedu rose next.“I left my market without thought,” he said. “If leaders delay, criminals gain courage. We must secure our roads and villages.”Sarkin Ade followed.“Our borders are open,” he said. “That is how these men entered. We must strengthen security in every community.”Then Sarkin Dogo stood up. His voice was sharp.“Let us speak the truth,” he said. “This happened because Sarkin Bello was weak. His land was not guarded well. A strong Sarkin does not allow this.”The hall stirred.Sarkin Okoro stood at once.“Sit down,” he said firmly. “This council does not shame a brother in his pain. Today it is Bello. Tomorrow it could be any of us.”Sarkin Musa Danladi added,“Blame will not bring the people back. Unity will. Choose your words carefully.”Silence returned to the hall.All eyes turned to the head seat.Sarkin Unity Musa straightened and spoke.“Enough.”His voice was calm, but it carried weight.“This council was not called for accusation,” he said. “It was called for responsibility. Weakness is not in one land. Weakness is in division.”He looked around the hall.“We will protect our people together. Anyone who stands alone will fall alone.”The Sarkin listened.The decision was near.Throughout the discussion, Sarkin Abubakar had not spoken.He sat still. His eyes moved from face to face. The hall noticed his silence. This was the war strategist of Nijeriya.Sarkin Unity Musa turned toward him and spoke.“We have all spoken,” he said. “But one voice is yet to be heard.”He raised his hand slightly.“Let us hear from our war strategist,” he said. “Let us hear what Sarkin Abubakar has to say.”Sarkin Abubakar lifted his head.The hall fell silent.Every Sarkin waited for his wordsSarkin Abubakar stood up. He bent slightly, raised one hand, folded his wrist, and said,“Peace be upon you, Sarkin Unity Musa, our leader.”He turned to the council and added,“Peace be upon you, my fellow Sarkin.”They replied together,“Peace be upon you too.”Then he spoke.“One thing I trust in our dear God is His power to touch our hearts and remove the spirit of ‘I do not care’ when trouble falls on another community. When pain comes to one land, it should be a cry for everybody.”He paused.“We must learn to put aside selfishness. When we hide our individual interests, the strength of the whole body will speak. Unity is our shield.”He turned toward Sarkin Bello.“My brother, I sincerely feel your pain. You are not alone in this. We, the Sarkin gathered here, will stand with you. We are ready to act together, and we will act quickly.”He lifted his head and continued,“When the kidnappers make their demand for ransom, we must respond with wisdom. The process must be watched carefully. Their movements must be traced. When their hiding place is known, the response should be firm and final, using the full strength of the land, including air support, to end this threat.”He lowered his head and sat down.The hall was silent.Every Sarkin understood the weight of his words.All eyes turned back to Sarkin Unity Musa.A Sarkin at the far end of the hall rose slowly.It was Sarkin Lawal.He spoke with caution.“You speak of tracing,” he said. “How will this be done without putting more lives at risk?”The hall became quiet.Sarkin Abubakar answered calmly.“Not by haste,” he said. “Not by open force.”He continued,“Tracing is not noise. It is patience. It is watching patterns, movements, and mistakes. Those who cause harm always reveal themselves with time.”He looked around the council“We will rely on intelligence, cooperation, and lawful forces trained for this work. Our duty is not to know every step, but to ensure the right hands are guiding the process.”Sarkin Lawal nodded and sat down.The tension eased slightly.All eyes returned once again to Sarkin Unity Musa, waiting for his final word.Sarkin Unity Musa raised his hand and cleared his throat.The hall fell silent.He spoke.“We thank you all for your contributions. Every word spoken here carries weight. I respect Sarkin Abubakar for his wisdom in not revealing the full plan. Such matters should remain only with those chosen to handle them.”He paused and looked around the council.“Our first duty is clear. The victims must be rescued alive. Their safety comes before everything else.”He continued firmly,“After the rescue, the place where this evil hides must be wiped out. Let the sky aircraft act. Let the bomb fall, so that the land is cleared of terror and fear does not return.”A deep silence followed.He added,“When this task is completed, we will hold another meeting to discuss how peace will be restored across our territory as a whole.”He lowered his hand.The Sarkin rose together in respect and said,“May you live long.”The words echoed through the Hall.The flute blower lifted his flute once more and blew a slow, heavy sound.The hall rose to its feet.The Sarkin security marched in order toward the door. Their footsteps were firm and steady.Sarkin Unity Musa stood up. He turned briefly to the council, then walked toward the exit with calm authority.As he left the hall, silence followed him.The meeting had ended.The duty had begun. WATCH OUT FOR PART TWO

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