LIGIDI is the name of someone who was a notorious criminal, a kidnapper, abductor and ritualist that lived and reigned in Kano in the late 60s and early 70s.
He was a household name because of his ruthlessness and mercilessness. Many have never seen him, but his reputation as a wicked soul transcended his image.
He was accused of kidnapping and abducting children for rituals.
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We were witness to his capture, arrest, trial and sentencing to death at a court now turned into a church opposite Eldorado Cinema along Airport Road Kano. His legend has now almost turned into a myth.
When we were small, children that were stubborn were intimidated or brought into conformity to good behaviour by scaring them with the name Ligidi. Any child told he will be reported to or handed over to Ligidi will instantly become reformed.
We even had a huge hole in the then outskirts of town along Airport Road Kano known as #Ramin Ligidi. It was reputed to be his hideout, where he and his gang use to kill children, drink their blood and bury their bodies. As young kids nobody wanted to go anywhere near that place.
The sinister gorge was eventually incorporated into the Air Force Base of Kano. Later, people stopped being scared of the place and even we, young as we were then would pass through the huge crevice on our way to either Hajj Camp or to the airport in our youthful adventurous rendezvous.
It was a decade or two later that the sweet mostly made by women in homes that you guys are referring to was created and introduced to young kids then as #Hanjin Ligidi. It was an effort by mothers to dissuade their children from the fear of the evil man.
By making them enjoy his “intestine” metaphorical and he can’t do anything about it, his scary legend was broken and ever since children stopped being afraid of the man, his ghost or spirit. That was the purpose of naming the “alewa” after the man.
Many young ones that came later didn’t know who he was or the kind of atrocities, true or false, he had visited on young, innocent souls, but just buy, water soak and peel off the glued to the sweet cover and enjoyed the pleasant local, paper wrapped cone shaped, yellow/orange colored delicacy named Hanjin Ligidi.
©️2021 Tijjani M. M.
©️Image – Unknown source
