Inside the capital of Taraba, a north-eastern fringe state of Nigeria, there once lived a humane creature — a very close friend of mine — who occupies my mind non-stop, even until now. Jalingo, the name of the growing urban centre that rings like a Christmas bell, was the “captivity” where Vicky, the sensational girl, was “rehabilitated” from traffickers who had attempted to smuggle her through the porous Nigerian borders into Cameroon. From there, she would have been flown to a European buyer, who had already made a down payment of USD $6,000 to own the girl-slave.

But Vicky was no ordinary girl. She was a Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), a primate belonging to the mammalian group that includes humans, monkeys, and apes. Chimps are among the most intelligent animals, sharing striking similarities with humans. Vicky, having undergone extensive socialisation with her keepers and other people, soon learned to “ape” or imitate human actions. To the amusement of all, she could dance, mock, fold a mat to lie down, and perform other acts she was commanded to do.

Indeed, on the popular Newsline programme of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), anchored by Kefas Sule in Jalingo, Vicky mesmerised viewers with her human-like mimicry.

A Jealous “Girlfriend”

Vicky, the jealous girl, seemed to have a score to settle with some of the women in the neighbourhood who jeered at and mocked her. She always retaliated by showing off her little backside and patting her open palm to her mouth, hooting at them in the manner of angry women.

Whenever she sighted these women from a distance, she quickly realised her nudity, picked up a piece of cloth to cover her waistline, and often placed a cellophane bag over her head as if to say, “I am also feminine like you.”

Sometimes, the friendly women jokingly referred to me and Jonah Joel Kiado as “Vicky’s husbands,” since they knew she was a jealous type. She didn’t like it whenever we joked with those women who constantly brought food, drinks, and other delicacies for Vicky and the other chimps and baboons housed in the mini zoo’s enclosures.

To tame her, a chain was bought. At first, she was excited to wear it, thinking it was a necklace bigger than the ones her “fellow women” wore. But she soon got agitated when she discovered she could no longer frolic.

The baboons, notorious for jealousy and rebellion, never took it kindly whenever they felt Vicky was favoured. They stoned us when we chained Vicky, but screamed hysterically when theirs were put on them.

Vicky in the Media Spotlight

Vicky’s story once thrilled the public. Journalist Hendrix Oliomogbe of The Guardian wrote a feature that captivated readers, including the late Andy Akporogu, a newsprint guru renowned for his high standards. Around the mid-1990s, Professor John Oates, a celebrated American primatologist, and Dr. Lee White, a conservationist who later became Gabon’s Minister of Ecology, also heard of Vicky’s story during a visit to Okomu Wildlife Sanctuary (now Okomu National Park) in Edo State.

But painfully, the story of how Vicky came to be “exiled” in the animal enclosures at the former College of Education, Jalingo, was a tragic one. She was among several chimps and baboons rescued through joint efforts with the Taraba State Forestry Department (then headed by Director Hezekiah Omiri, a passionate conservationist) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).

At the time, I was a volunteer working with the Animal Kindness Club, a global charity founded in 1959 by the late Canadian, Aida Maud Boyer McAnn Fleming (1896–1994). Our team traversed the wilderness of Taraba, Yobe, Adamawa, and Borno states, rescuing smuggled primates and sending their traffickers to jail.

Adventures in the Wild

Our rescue missions took us to dangerous terrains, including the lofty Mambilla Plateau, the highest altitude in Nigeria (about 1,600 metres above sea level). On one perilous trip in a Land Rover to Nguroje and Nge Yanki (the “forest of lions”), we nearly skidded off the steep cliffs into a deep valley. Another time, as we descended towards Mayo Kam in Bali LGA, a herd of elephants blocked our path, calmly strolling down the hills, oblivious to our presence.

Other colleagues, like Nsentip Udom Udeme (now a lecturer), also joined some expeditions. On different trips, we camped in the Hadeja-Nguru Wetlands and the thickets of Sambisa — now infamous as a stronghold for armed groups. It was there that we crossed paths with Paddy Ezeala, a notable conservationist and publisher of Development Agenda magazine, who sadly passed away two months ago.

Vicky and Her Friends

One morning, as I stepped out of the mini zoo, my close friend Jalo Denda ignored our advice not to tease Vicky or let her handle his transistor radio. Vicky loved music and anything that produced sound. By the time we returned, she had smashed his radio on the concrete floor and was happily admiring its carcass.

When my friend and fellow conservationist, Jonah Joel Kiado — Vicky’s main keeper and benefactor — passed away, life became even more difficult for her. When I returned to Jalingo to mourn him, I also longed to see Vicky. At first, her whereabouts were unknown until I was referred to Wukari.

A Painful Reunion

The three-hour road trip to Wukari felt like a journey into infinity. When I finally found her in her new enclosure, Vicky was emaciated and confused. I approached her cage, making the familiar grimaces and hooting sounds she knew. At first, she closed her weary eyelids repeatedly. Then, suddenly, she let out an excited cry, forced herself against the bars, and recognised me.

We rolled on the ground in our old playful manner. She dutifully picked dirt from my head, as I did for her. Then, holding me tightly, she looked into my face and began to cry — tears streaming down her cheeks. It was agonising, yet relieving that she remembered me.

The late Ibrahim Kefas, her new benefactor who also loved animals, was amazed at the bond he witnessed. I eventually encouraged her to take a sedative to calm down before I left.

Epilogue

Will somebody tell me where Vicky is today?
I long to meet her again and again.