By Emma Nnadozie, Group Crime Editor

Four young men are poking the ground  with long sticks at noon. They are coming out from the court premises opposite Police College, Ikeja. Clad in what would pass for rags, bespectacled with dark glasses, they move steadily with their long sticks as compass towards the main road with their left hands on each others’ shoulders while their right control long sticks as they steadily hit the ground apparently on the move to their destination.

As they strutt determinedly towards the ever-busy road, passersby are jolted, wondering how four seemingly blind men could be moving unaccompanied towards a busy main road where different cars shuttle in different directions. Then, one of the onlookers quickly comes to their rescue, holds the one leading their way by his fingers, uses the other hand to signal to vehicles for right of passage, assisting them to cross the road.

At that instant, a commercial bus popularly called korope, pulls beside the road and the same man guides them into the bus and unconsciously waves good bye to the blind men who, chorus: ‘’thank you. ‘’ The bus moves towards the popular PWD bus stop through police barracks.

The interesting scenario attracts the attention of this reporter, he rushes into his car and goes after them. They are cornered just as they are alighting from the bus at PWD bus stop,and the following conversation follows after introducing myself:

The man that looked like their leader initiated the interview: My name is Akande Elijah. I am 30 years old. I am from Oyo State. I attended Federal Polytechnic, Ofa for my OND and I studied Mass Communication. After that, I went for my Industrial Training at NTA, Tejuosho, Lagos. Later in 2017, I discovered that my eyes were cloudy. I started moving from one hospital to another. There is no hospital you will name that says they are the best eye clinic in Lagos and even in Ogun state that I have not visited.

I have been to Life Foundation, Saint Mary and an Indian eye clinic at Lekki. But to God be the glory, in August 2019, I lost my sight. Had I known that the blind can still move around, can still do all this, I would not have declined my admission into Moshood Abiola Polythectnic for my Higher National Diploma,HND. While I was in school earlier in life, I was not blind. I lost my sight sometime in 2019 when I started seeing some symptoms.

I am from a family of five and I am the first son. My father is a clearing and forwarding agent. We live in Ajegunle. Two of my siblings, boys, are in school. I am the only one affected with this disability. My parents tried their best to help me and spent all their savings and mine too, but it did not work out. They said it was Glacoma and that I inherited it. After my school programme, I went to a rehabilitation center at Oshodi, Lagos. There, we learnt a lot of craft work and how to operate phones. I did it for two years. I passed out and the only thing I need now is empowerment.

Four of us graduated from the same school at Oshodi last year December. We all decided to stay together so that we can work. We produce liquid soap and cosmetics and we engage in other different handwork. Right now, we are still squatting outside,in a hut around the school premises with the owner but, he is not blind. We are not paying. We are together so that we could be able to work and sell to people. We take our products to churches and get paid.

However, due to the situation of the country, it has not been easy. What we are looking for now is accommodation and empowerment. We went to that court area this afternoon just to look for helpers that will empower us and help provide a roof where four of us will live and practice our trade.”

Who is leading amongst four of you?

Anyone can lead. The training at the center made us understand that we can move without being led by anybody. Like now, if I am going anywhere, and Nigeria is okay, we are supposed to have walk-way and with that, I would just be using my cane.

My cane would have been the first to jam any obstacle before my leg. So, assuming there is a walk way, we will be walking freely.

How do you know where you are going?

That is what we call orientation. That is knowing where you are going. If I am going to Ikeja, for example, I can easily ask my Google, it will show me directions. We have an Android phone which we use. Like now, it will be saying everything. That is screen reader.

The first thing we do when we are ready to leave our residence is that, you know we are already used to it, if there is for instance a drainage, we know that it is there. Immediately we cross, we say where are we now? We ask for directions from the Google and it will speak to us.

How painful is this?

Initially, I regretted my condition but now, I no longer regret it. When I went to rehabilitation center, I was so sad, but after going there, I learnt that I could do what people with sight can do. That’s when I embraced the condition and started looking forward to living life to the fullest in that condition. Doctors said I cannot see again.

They said it is only God that can recover my sight. When it all started, I did many sacrifices. I killed ram because they said it was witchcraft. I fasted for days. I am happy because I still need to make myself happy. I had to move forward and look for solution. I hope to marry. I have girlfriends both sighted and blind. One is a student. One is working. I play saxophone too in the church. I normally go to church to introduce myself. The sighted helped me at times as my guide.

What do you want the government to do for you?

What I want the government to do for me is to first, give me work and accommodation. It is only work that will make us not to be a liability to the government. The craft work we are doing now is to use it to eat and we realize very little money from sales.

His colleague, Sodiqu Ayoola narrated his story: I am 35 years old. I am from Osun state but born and brought up in Surulere, Lagos. My parents are still alive. We are five. I am the last born. I finished my Ordinary level education in 2009 at Itire community High School, Surulere. I was sighted then. After I finished my secondary education, I went to Yaba College of Technology for direct entry, but because of money issues, I could not succeed. My father is a old .

I later learnt auto mechanic. I was sighted then. I was already into mechanic work before I finished my ordinary level education. I became blind while on way to buy spare parts at Kola, Sango Ota road. I went there to buy engine and crankshaft in a commercial motorcycle. As soon as I crossed the first lane, second lane after buying those parts, a big car suddenly hit me from my back and I fell inside a porthole. I was rushed to Aishat Hospital, Idi-Araba and I was in coma for seven days.

They thought I was dead and the only thing I remembered was that I was fasting. They nearly decided to bury me but for a doctor that advised that I should be rushed to Saint Mary hospital at Ibadan. From there, I was taken to USH hospital at Ibadan where I spent two years and three months. I was in the hospital with my brother and sister when doctors announced that I wouldn’t see with my two eyes again in life for they were affected when I was knocked down by the vehicle.

Doctors said the accident affected the veins in the two eyes and had to remove the retina. So, it’s not as if I had glaucoma. Before I got blind, I had my own apartment as well. After that sad pronouncement by doctors, I did not accept that I could not do anything about it again. I found a sponsor in the hospital but the doctor told him that the only help he could render to me was to take me to a rehabilitation center. That was 2021.

They now took me to Oshodi School of the blind and I learnt vocational studies. I was the best students in 2021/2022. The problem I have now is accommodation. Since we graduated, we have been in the school premises. The school now told us that other students were coming so we should find our way. That’s what brought us outside. We will be very okay if we have a place to stay. We just need to be settled.

Asked if he has plans to marry someday, he quickly replied; I have two girlfriends. They are not blind like me. I met one in Lagos and the other in my village. I met the one in Lagos when I went to one programme and the girl saw me, she spoke to me. She is in a Polytechnic. She helps me a lot and she is also from my place.

Incidentally, before I went to rehabilitation center, I nearly committed suicide. That fateful day, I felt so hopeless and helpless and I went and bought a poisonous substance, took it to my room and was about drinking it when my mother just entered the room and threw it away. But after the rehabilitation center, I am blind but happy.

The stories of both the third and fought persons, Sunny Michaels, 43, and Olaitaan Olabode, 33 are also as pathetic as those of their colleagues.

For Sunny Michael: I learnt bricklaying and furniture works. I was busy at work when I started having problem with my sight. That day, I walked to my place of work only to be blinded few hours later. My family took me to a church where I spent one year praying but no improvement. I was taken to different hospitals where they carried out surgeries, yet, no improvement. At a stage, I started seeing slightly but it relapsed after sometime. I couldn’t see again then I was taken back home.

My family took me to a church, I spent one year over there praying, then I was taken to another church, it was there I was advised to go to the hospital again. I went back to a hospital at Ijebu-Ode and they said I should return after two months. At this stage, members of my family didn’t agree to it so, they carried me to Badagry where I spent six months.

Later, I was told to go to Ikeja for scan. That was how I went to Ikeja to do the scan that day, and then I returned back to Badagry hospital and they said they didn’t have machines to operate on my eyes and referred me back to where I was coming from. It was there that I was told that there was no solution again, or I should go and find millions. I was so downcast and regretted going round like this. I thought of going to beg in the streets and use the money to see again, but was turned down. During that period, I had so many thoughts… .

So many times, I thought of suicide before l went I to Ikeja Teaching hospital, one of the doctors encouraged me and assured that everything is in God’s hands.

My brother, it has not been easy, my mother is dead while my father is old. He has tried for me, but he is old already. They are sighted. Now, my problem is accommodation after which I will be able to practice what I learnt at the rehabilitation center. I am also thinking about raising a family of my own, Now, I have two sighted girlfriends. One helps to wash my cloths while the second one helps to lead me when I call on her. I use to regret my condition before now,but I no longer regret it.

I went to school of the blind and I was taught so many things there. I learnt how to make sandals, do tie and dye clothes, make soaps, bags and so many other things. So, if encouraged, I could be useful to the society and myself.

Olaitan Olabode said his blindness happened suddenly: That night, I was playing PlayStation in our house at Ebutte-Metta, Yaba, Lagos. Suddenly, I noticed that I was not seeing anything. I felt it wasn’t anything serious until I went for a test at Obalende upper campus. I love football and I played football, and it was there I realized the eyes had become worst because I couldn’t see anything and that was in the year 2013.

When they passed ball to me, I couldn’t see anything. I went to a General hospital. They said they could not cure it. They did not tell me the actual cause of my problem. I went to two eye visions at Ikeja beside Sheraton hotel and later to Bonny Camp where they told me that it was all over.

I have a girlfriend and she is partially sighted. I appeal to both government and concerned Nigerians to help us out of this our pathetic predicament.

When asked why they are not living in their respective homes, they stated that one thing is that when you lose your sight, people will not believe you. We know the way to our homes but if we stay there, it will not be easy for us.

So if we’re at home it won’t be easier for us. Our families and people would take pity on us and we will be feeling sorrowful. Before going blind, we were staying with our parents but after going to school to learn one thing or the other, we felt that it will be bad for us to go back home and they will still be feeding us.

For instance, if we are well accommodated and encouraged, we make products and sell to feed ourselves.