The Seige Poem by Dr Anthony Onoja

In the deep of the blackest night they fall on us
The roof tops were set ablaze
Suddenly there was no moonlight
Even the stars of heaven all turned so dime
They greet us with terror in the birth of new year
The cries of infants could be heard from afar
Suddenly there was no voice as they search our huts
The wailers all gathered in the blackest nights of Guma and Logo
The rattles of bullets shells and fireworks in our down towns
Who at last will be our saviour?
Our women were battered with bullets and matchets
Our statesmen all fall prey to the flying bullets
When shall we be free from hate?
Tell our young men, the jihadists came at nightfall
The sons of Usman return to graze our land by force
They came and littered our lands with flies and death
We cried but had no voice
Hope was gone, gone to the land where our ancestors went
You may kill us if you want
You may slay us as though we have no advocate
You may destroy our lands, the birthplace of our norms
You can never kill the essence that drives us
We are sons of giants that roam the lower Benue
We are children of hope and freedom to middle Belt
We may fall now but will surely rise again
Until the flag of victory is float at last
We rise! ! we rise! ! we rise! !