For three months, George Onyemachi and his wife, Favour, both victims of the Gombe Deeper Life Church shooting have been on their different hospital beds at the Male Orthopaedic and Female Surgical wards of the Federal Medical Centre, Gombe respectively.
Over 15 persons met their untimely deaths in the mayhem that was unleashed on the church by gunmen during an evening service at its BCGA branch of Gombe metropolis on that fateful Thursday. Similarly, over 10 persons sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to the hospital. But while they have all been discharged, Mr. and Mrs. Onyemachi have continued to grind their teeth in pains in the hospital.
Apparently, their cases seemed peculiar and more serious. George Onyemachi, 65 years old and a father of seven from Enugu State who migrated to Gombe in the mid 80s was shot at three places: lower abdomen, his hand and on the back.
The bullets at his lower abdomen pierced through his two testicles and shattered them. His back side appeared jagged with bullets while his left hand was riddled with bullets also. He had undergone the first surgical operation on the hand which, however, did not correct the defects.
He was actually in the theater for the second surgery when Saturday Vanguard arrived. This was the reason why he could not speak. Enquires by this journalist later produced one of his daughters who was seated outside the theatre with her head in her palms dozing.
It was obvious the sudden medical crisis suffered by her mother the previous night took sleep away from her eyes. Even at the time, she still wore a tearful face. She later told Saturday Vanguard that since the incident took place, the family has literally relocated to the hospital. She had also left her studies for the forthcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASCE, and her school to take care of her parents.
Further enquiries took us to the female surgical ward where her mother, Mrs. Favour Onyemachi was. She was on her bed, flying her hands at different directions in anguish and pains while muttering indiscernable words. Seated by the bedside were her eldest son, Jonathan Onyemachi and another of her daughters. Their faces, too, looked downcast while they battled to calm their mother.
They said she had been doing okay; responding to treatment, but suddenly took a somewhat dramatic turn on Sunday. The doctors said her Blood Pressure, BP, was rising tremendously and her sugar level had also risen. At this juncture, pity, sympathy and empathy gripped everyone present.
Jonathan, a homeopathic therapist who works in Onitsha, Anambra State with an establishment had also abandoned his job to take care of his parents and he spoke to us on the conditions of his parents.
The genesis
“I was very shocked by what happened to my parents. I was with my Dad in the village during the new year and we discussed a lot of things on how we would meet here in Gombe in January but before I could come to the North, I heard the shocking news about a gang of gunmen coming to the the Deeper Life Church at BCGA and leaving 15 dead and unfortunately, my Dad and Mum were among the lucky ones that didn’t die but were severely injured and as you can see, they are still in very bad shapes three months after the incident. My sister was very lucky the bullet didn’t get her.
The present condition of the parents
My father is really a strong man and I thank God for the strength He has given him. The point here is that the gunshot got him in his lower abdomen and shattered his two balls (testicles) and to God be the Glory, it did not affect his heart. He was also shot in the hand and it shattered all his bones.
The first operation was performed and they didn’t get the setting very well and now, they have done the second operation and he is coming back. My mum also was shot on the shoulder of her left hand. It is very bad and now, she is getting into some other kinds of sicknesses which I believe will soon be over.
Gombe as a second home
We came to Gombe in the 80s, something like in 1986/87. Then, Gombe was a peaceful town . I had my secondary school here and up to the time I finished, there was no war, no gang-up. Everywhere was peaceful. In fact, Gombe was one of the peaceful places in those days before it was made a State capital.
Gombe was like a home to me, but right now, I am scared of living in Gombe. And I am really sure that after my parents are okay, we would be changing location because you don’t know what might happen next.
Effect on the family
Really, I am working in Onitsha and was intending to open our branch office in Gombe State but due to this incident, I am not going to do that again. Almost three months now, I have not worked and have not been paid. I have been using the little resources I have to support and help my parents. My young ones are all helping me and doing their best. As the first son of the house, I have to be around my Dad and Mum.
and issue is that I have really had some setback. Since the beginning of the year, I have not touched anything. I am intending to settle down with my own wife but as you can see, there is nothing I can do now. I am still in the hospital taking care of my parents. So, all I need the government to do is to really intervene and help us out so that we can really move forward.
Government intervention
The Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubarkar, have now taken over the bills and were helping all the people that were wounded in the incident. So, I am using this opportunity to thank them for doing that.
All we are doing here is to feed ourselves and do other personal things. So the shocking thing here is why somebody on earth would think of harming people in the church. The whole thing is still shocking. My parents are still recovering and I still believe God that very soon everybody will be fine.
So, I am calling on the government to look into the matter and increase the rate of security in Nigeria because here in the North , people are afraid and are running helter-skelter because of the whole issue and in churches now, everywhere is so tight.
The effort of the Church
Deeper life Church is a wonderful church and they are really doing well.
Though I am a member of the church, I attend Living Faith, but seeing how they have been helping my family, their visitations, and their intervention, I came to realize that the church is a good church and I am very happy for their support and all they have been doing.
Gratitude to God
One with God is majority. I am very sure that the reason why God kept my parents alive is for a very special purpose and I am very happy because I will not say I am the most righteous person but is the mercy and compassion of God that located my family and kept my sister alive.
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