DAUGHTERS OF THE NORTH

DAUGHTERS OF THE NORTH

Ya’yan Arewa

The night in Katsina did not sleep,

it trembled.

Fear walked in with heavy boots

and twenty-five daughters were taken

before morning could open its eyes.

Twenty-five dreams,

twenty-five futures,

twenty-five innocent hearts

stolen in the dark.

And in the silence, we heard the mothers cry:

“Ya Allah… ka dawo mana da ‘ya’yenmu…”

(Oh God, bring back our daughters…)

Fathers stood outside empty homes,

eyes lifted to the sky, whispering:

“In sun dawo… zan rungume su kamar rana ta dawo gida.”

(If they return… I will hold them like the sun returning home.)

The North is bleeding.

Kidnapping,

Killing,

Terrorism

Fear has become the new language of our streets.

But this piece

this voice

this cry

is not just a poem.

It is a CALL.

We expect the community

to rise as one body,

one voice,

one truth saying:

“BA ZAMU YI SHIRU BA!”

(We will not be silent!)

To watch over each other,

to guard our daughters

like the earth guards its seeds.

We expect the government

to act with strength

not speeches.

To return our girls

not promises.

To show that leadership

is more than folded hands and quiet condolences.

So we speak,

we shout

we rise,

for the daughters of Katsina—

for every child stolen

from the arms that raised them.

We lift our voices like flames

against this thick night, saying:

“Ku dawo gida… mun jiranku.”

(Come home… we are waiting.)

May Katsina heal.

May the North rise.