Sasa Market: For family of murdered cobbler, a new life begins after Neusroom fundraiser
Abosede Sakirudeen previously worked at a shop in the Ojoo area of Ibadan, Oyo State, where she assisted the owner in selling soft drinks to retailers. Every morning, her husband, Adeola Sakirudeen, would drop her at the shop with his motorcycle and return to his shop at Sasa market, where he made shoes.
About 15km away from Ojoo, in a community inside Onikainkain close to Moniya market, Adeola, Abosede and their four children – ages 15, 11, 8 and 4 lived a less-than-modest Muslim life in an uncompleted single room best described as a shack sitting on a plot of land.
All they had in the small room during a Neusroom visit in February 2021 was a six-by-six bed, two singles and a double-seater chair, a rug that didn’t cover the entire room, a standing fan, 21-inch TV set, DVD and a deck player.
The room and the house’s exterior were unplastered; some parts of the roof were covered with old rusty roofing sheets.
Though life wasn’t so smooth for the family, they appeared to be at peace with the little they had.
All that changed on Friday, February 12, 2021 and the peace was taken away.
Adeola’s death, a day after he was hit by a Hausa-speaking porter while trying to broker peace between the porter and a pregnant Yoruba trader, disrupted the less-than-modest life his family previously lived.
His death did not only lead to a bloody clash that claimed the lives of many at the Sasa market; it also left his 40-year-old widow and four children in misery.
Abosede was left to raise their four children with her N15,000 monthly income.
But help came for her after a report by Neusroom published in March 2021.
Several well-meaning Nigerians, moved by the family’s plight after reading the report, urged Neusroom to lead a fundraising drive for the family.
ID Africa, which owns Neusroom.com, members of the team and readers also donated funds to support the family.
Abosede told Neusroom that she received over half a million naira in donations.
After four months of a waiting period, which she spent indoors according to Muslim rites, Abosede started on her new journey in July.
“Part of the funds were used to renovate our residence, and I got a shop, bought a deep freezer to start selling drinks around Moniya area in Ibadan,” she told Neusroom.
She is still in awe of the kindness shown to her by Nigerians who made donations after reading her story.
During a recent visit to her new shop at Moniya, she continually praised the kindness of Nigerians. She expressed her gratitude to donors who responded to the fundraising drive and said the fund makes a real difference to her life and her children.
“I didn’t expect that any help would come when I was interviewed in February because after the interview other people also came to interview me. But I was surprised when I started receiving donations through this [Neusroom] report,” Abosede said. “I pray God sends help to all Nigerians who supported and donated to my family.”
In an interview with Neusroom in February, she had expressed concerns over the education and future of her four children.
“That is the only area where I need help to raise these children,” she had said.
Abosede said she’s looking forward to making the business grow bigger and buying a new power generator to support her business from her little beginning. When that happens, she believes it will increase sales.
