Bello Yusuf is one of the prominent persons among the people with disabilities(PWDs) in Ondo State. In this interview with BOLU-OLU ESHO, he revealed how his journey into sudden darkness began Excerpts:

When and how did you lose your sight?

I lost my sight on the 2nd of August 2023 due to glaucoma. I slept on the 1st of August in my house at Ajah, Lekki, Lagos. When I woke up on the 2nd, everything was dark. I could not see anything anymore.

That same day, my life and my family’s life turned upside down.

It was also the same day my wife gave birth to our last baby, a girl. Because of blood loss and complications, my wife had to leave Lagos immediately to save her life. She took herself and our other children to her parents’ house in Akure, Ondo State.

On that very day, my mother also labeled my wife as her enemy. The problem started long before 2023.

Since 2018, when I started building my first house in Ikorodu, Lagos, my mother asked me, “This building you are putting together, who is it for?” I told her, “It’s for me and my family.” She asked, “Where will my own room be?” I said, “Don’t worry, there is a room for you.” Then she asked, “The master bedroom, the biggest one, who is it for?” I said, “It’s for me and my wife.” That day she said, “Is it my wife that gave birth to me? Or is she the one? How can you build such a good house for a village girl?” I thought she was joking, but I didn’t know she meant it.

Since then, an underground battle started between my wife and my mother, and I didn’t know about it. Every month I still paid my mother her allowance and sent her foodstuffs. Sometimes I drove down to drop them myself, sometimes I asked my wife to take a taxi to drop them.

Later I found out my mother had even gone to the extent of putting a charm on the house I was building. She also went to an extent of giving my wife a charm to put in my food. The first time my wife used it, and the second time when she refused, the underground war became worse. All of these were secret things that were later revealed to me.

The same thing happened in 2021 when I started building my second house at Sango, Ogun State, near Winners Chapel. My mother started her problems again.

At first after I lost my sight, I thought it was a joke and that my sight would come back. But as time went on, nothing changed. I was later taken to my mother’s house. The treatment I received there was very painful. I was treated like a slave, and that made me feel hopeless.

To my greatest surprise, instead of my mother taking good care of me, she started going after my bank account, my money, and my property. After the first house was sold, I didn’t even know who was in full control of my life by then, and the money was not used to take care of me.

My mother hired a truck and went to my rented apartment in Ajah, Lekki, Lagos, to pack all my property and brought it to her own apartment in Ikorodu. She fixed them in her room, even though those things were not for her apartment. Some of my family members also fought over my property, claiming that they were the ones who took some items before one another. They started fighting in my presence, and my mother was busy sharing my property as if I was dead, while I was just sitting down crying that very day. It was so painful.

Because of my sudden blindness and how people stayed away from me, I even got to the point where I wanted to end my life. I tried to poison myself, but by God’s grace, people came to my rescue. I thank God that today I am still standing.

It also hurt me that my own biological mother turned against me and even went after my property, claiming she wanted to inherit her first son’s property.

The 2nd of August 2023 was the same day I lost my sight, the same day my daughter was born, and the same day my happiness turned to sorrow.

Despite all of this, I am still here, and I am determined to move forward.

How old were you then and were you married?

Yes, I was married then. I got married on the 5th of March 2012. Since then, I have been living with my wife and children. We have four children.

When I got married in 2012, I was 28 years old. When I lost my sight in 2023, I was in my forties. Before I lost my sight, life was going very well for me. My children were doing well in school, and I was doing well in my work and business. I had my own car and was living comfortably. I was working in Lekki, Lagos, and I was very social.

I was also building a presence online. On TikTok my handle is @cargolarry. That is also my Instagram ID. I had 24,000 followers on TikTok, and I also had a good number of followers on Instagram and Facebook.

So when blindness came in 2023, it didn’t just take my sight. It took my independence, my career, and almost took my hope. But I refused to give up.

When it happened, what was the first thing that came to your mind?

The first thing that came to my mind was hopelessness. I felt like there was nothing I could do anymore. In that pain, I decided to end my life. I drank a spirit that was meant to take care of the baby, and I also drank a bottle of Dettol. It almost killed me. But by God’s grace, I was rescued and I survived.

The most painful part was that even then, my mother didn’t care. She said, “If you like die, you are not the only one I have.”

At that time I thought that once you go blind, that’s it — you will just stay indoors for the rest of your life. Today I know better. Even in blindness, life can still have meaning.

Did you ever have the hope of regaining your sight?

Yes, I had hope. I will say yes one million times. Even while I was still with my mother, I kept begging her to take me to the hospital because I could still see shadows and light. I pleaded with her many times, and sometimes I had to promise her money or give her my ATM card before she would agree to take me.

I tried everything possible to see again. I even went to my pension account at ARM Pension and withdrew 25% of my benefit, because I had been out of work for four months. That was what I was using to survive, but all of it was spent by my mother.

We went to an eye clinic in Ijebu Ode called St. Mary’s Eye Hospital, run by eye specialists. But after that, she refused to take me anywhere again because I had no more money to give her.

I also went to pastors. Some collected money from me. I called people I knew here in Nigeria and even abroad to help me so I could see again. I spent everything I had on trying to get my sight back, but all of it was in vain.

I worked so hard to see again, but nothing worked. Today I accept my reality, and I am focusing my energy on how to live well and support my family despite my condition.

How did your friends, the management of the company you were working with react to your condition?

It was a mixed reaction. I had a lot of friends before my blindness. Friends from the office, and friends I went to school with at Gbagada Grammar School in Lagos. But when it happened, most of them ran away. Only a few stayed.

I can never forget my best friend in Ajah who stood very close to me. And I also have a friend I worked with for a long time, his name is Abiodun Hassan. We used to call him DBIO. He is a very good friend. He stood by me and made sure I was rescued from my mother. Even though he knew it was dangerous for his own life, he still helped me.

But most of my other friends just disappeared. Some came to visit once and I never saw them again. They didn’t even come to say hello.

As for the people I worked with: I worked for a lot of rich people in Lagos because I am a professional driver, a defensive driver, an executive driver. I drove most of the prominent people in Lagos State.

I worked with white people for over five years in Chevron Nigeria PLC at No. 2 Chevron Drive, Lekki, Lagos.

I was driving the expatriates who would come for 2 years, 2 and a half years, then leave.

I also drove the GMD of Courteville Business Solution PLC at No. 38 Commercial Avenue, Sabo Yaba, Lagos for many years.

I worked for the CEO of Triumph Energy and Gas Limited in Lekki Phase 1.

I worked with the GMD of Artek in Lekki.

I also worked for a successful politician who is a very close friend to the Ooni of Ife, the present king of Ile-Ife. I used to drive his bus from Lagos to the palace, and even the king would recognize me if I introduce myself.

I have also met the number one king, the Alake of Egbaland.

So I have worked with a lot of people and met a lot of people.

But today, with the way my life has turned around, it’s so sad that I couldn’t get any support from all those I mentioned. Most of them know what happened to me, but nothing was done.

I still get a little support from somewhere else that I didn’t even expect.

What step have you taken so far regarding your survival?

Since I lost everything, I had nothing left. My only focus was to find my way back to my wife and my children.

My mother-in-law rescued me and asked me to come to their home. So I am now staying with my mother-inlaw in her house.

My wife is a hairdresser — that is what she was doing before we left Lagos.

We started gradually in Ondo State, and that is what she is still doing now. We are using it to manage, but it is not even enough.

But I did not stop there. I called those I could call and sought for support.

I went to the School for the Blind in Owo, Ondo State and finished from there.

After that, I am still struggling with my wife to put things together and start a little business so that we can manage, feed ourselves, and send our children to school. We are doing this still with the support of a few people around who still answer my calls when I ask for help.

But I did not stop there. Today I am moving forward to go for a university degree at Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo State. My goal is to finish and get a government job as a person with disability. I want to be useful to my country Nigeria — maybe to become a special teacher in the future.

That way I can be able to cater for my family and my children, give my children a better life and better education, and be useful to my country Nigeria.

What message do you have for the people?

The message I have for the people is that in this life there is no problem without a solution and no one should ever lose hope no matter how critical the condition is. For me I thought life was meaningless when I lost my sight, but today I am still here alive trying to provide for my children, trying to make life meaningful again.

Even now I am speaking up for people with disability, especially blind people, because now I know better about people living with disability. It is not easy but I refuse to give up. That is why I am willing to further my education. Even before my blindness I kept fighting for my people, even in my office for the younger ones, and that spirit is still in me.

To all the sighted people, to those that are still seeing, that are still complete, that are able, never look down on people with disability. I have found out that that is what most people do, especially some important people in this Nigeria. They see people with disability as a disgusting thing to them. Some people look down at us. Please let us not discriminate against people with disability. We are people like you. We are special people. Nobody knows tomorrow.

I never expected that on the 2nd of August 2023 I would sleep and wake up without seeing again. You don’t know what may happen to anyone tomorrow. I don’t pray that this thing that happened to me should happen to any person in life anymore, but nobody knows what can happen next.

So please be good to everyone you see. Make a good impact in the life of people living with disability. Make us happy. Make yourself happy and be good to everyone you see, because you don’t know who may rescue you tomorrow. (Saturday Independent)