our land is red
filled with the blood of its citizens
how long will we continue in silence,
waking daily to the massacre of our families?
two hundred today, five hundred tomorrow
children, parents and even the unborn
how long will we continue to pray
feeling helpless, hopeless and depressed?
our grasses and farmlands, formerly green
are now watered with the blood of their owners
our land is red
and we can no longer keep silent
DEDICATION:
To Leah Sharibu, the Dapchi girls, the Chibok girls, their family members and loved ones.
To John Chibok, whose father was brutally murdered by the terrorists, and whose cousins were among the kidnapped Chibok girls.
To the victims of the bombings and herdsmen attacks.
To their family members and loved ones who will carry this loss with them through their life time,
To Oby Ezekwesili, Aisha Yesufu, and the members of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement, who us daily that our girls are still out there.
To Nigerians, in this time of continuous loss and tragedy.
To a New Nigeria, where there is peace and security, where the lives of the citizens matter, and our girls are not snatched from their families in their prime and where the lives of animals do not trump that of its citizens.
The Story…
John was busy in the farm when he heard some unusual noise and then a roar. He looked up to see some of the villagers running towards his direction, away from their farms.
“Hey, Mallam Daudu, what is happening? Why are people running helter skelter like this?” He inquired.
“Oga John, run o! Run for your dear life! Some mad men with cows are busy killing people, and they are coming in this direction.” Mallam Daudu replied, running and panting as he spoke.
John was confused.
“What do you mean mad men with cows killing farmers? What do they want?” He asked, trying to keep up
with Malam Daudu’s speed.
John tried to keep running, but he felt a sharp pain on his right knee. He looked down to see blood flowing out of his legs, he had been hit by a bullet too. @chyochem
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“Oga John, abeg stop asking me questions. They are behind; you can go ask them what they want. Me, I
just want to escape before they use my meat for dinner in place of their cow meats.”
As they were speaking, they heard gunshots behind them and a scream as someone fell, hit by a bullet.
John tried to keep running, but he felt a sharp pain on his right knee. He looked down to see blood flowing out of his legs, he had been hit by a bullet too.
Before he could think of the next action to take, he felt another sharp pain on his left shoulder. He turned
in horror to see his left arm flying off his body and blood gushing out, as though a faucet had been turned
on to its maximum and water was gushing out of it.
Before he could think of the next action to take, he felt another sharp pain on his left shoulder. He turned in horror to see his left arm flying off his body… @chyochem
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As he felt the life draining out of him, only one word was on his lips,
“Gloria.”
This story was excerpted from Our Land is Red by Chineye Ochem.
Credits: Featured Image Photo by Omotayo Tajudeen from Pexels
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Meet The Author
Chineye Ochem hails from Delta state, but was born and bred in Lagos, Nigeria. She is a graduate of Accounting from the University of Benin, and an Associate Chartered Accountant.
She loves reading and writing and is passionate about contributing her quota towards making …Read more
MakeADreamNG.com 
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