Chadian Mercenaries Annex, Administer Nigerian Border Towns

Some Nigerians fleeing the insurgency in the Northeast have relived their experiences in the town and villages occupied by the Boko Haram insurgents. The insurgents taken over many communities in Borno and Yobe states. Among them are Chadian mercenaries who now run some border towns.

Villagers who  escaped from Gajigana, one of the villages recently  attacked by the insurgents are crying to the Borno State Government and the Federal Government to save them from the hands of the Chadians who, according to them, have now become judges trying and punishing villagers.

One of them, Ali Modu Kawu, who escaped to Maiduguri, the beleaguered Borno State capital, said: “The Chadian rebels from Mangal now preside over meetings in most of the villages. They  sit in courts and hear disputes and pass judgement for the locals who are in dispute with one another.

“Just before they attacked Gajigana last week, the Manga tribesmen of Chad normally came around to judge the people. As a matter of fact, some days before the attack on Gajigana, there was a problem between one of our friends and a Fulani man who took his herd of cattle into the farm of our friend.

“ After our inability to resolve the ensuing dispute – which had taken a dangerous dimension, we had to report the matter to Boko Haram men, who came to resolve the matter. They found the Fulani man guilty and ruled that he must pay a fine equivalent of five bags of beans within 24 hours or  face death punishment; and the Fulani man quickly complied.

“Government institutions such as the courts and the local government buildings have been taken over by Boko Haram members who are mostly Chadians,” Ali Modu Kawu, one of the villagers who escaped told our correspondent in Maiduguri.

Kawu said the Chadian Boko Haram mercenaries are more brutal than the others, adding that “whatever they say is final and you dare not protest”.

Gajigana village in Mobbar Local Government Council of Borno States was last Wednesday attacked by the Boko Haram insurgents. Over 30 died. Many others were injured.

No less than 12 local government councils  from northern Borno  comprising   Abadam, Kukawa, Marte, Ngala, Dikwa, Mobbar, Nganzai, Magumeri, Marte, Kala-Balge, and Monguo, states including Gwoza and some parts of Damboa are under the control of the Boko Haram sect with no military or police presence.

One of the villagers who prefers anonymity  said the terrorist were angry with Gajigana community for leaking information to security agents that they were embarking on forcible recruitment of youth into Boko Haram in their villages hence their reason to attack the community.

“I overheard some of them when they were attacking the village   saying that we were the ones that went to report their secret recruitments around Gajiganna so they will teach us a lesson,” he said.

Another villager who identified himself as Zaana, lamented that they are in a life of bondage in the hands of the Chadian conquerors who place a strict surveillance on them to monitor their movement and what they discuss with one another.

“We are very careful about what you say to who and what and at what time because these boys have agents everywhere in the town monitoring the affairs of everyone,” Zaana said.

There were strong indications yesterday that the Chad-brokered ceasefire deal between the Federal Government and Boko Haram might have collapsed.

The botched deal was designed to effect the release of the abducted 219 Chibok girls.

Faced with unworkable negotiation, the Federal Government has opted to engage the sect headlong in all the states in the Northeast.

It was also learnt that the Defence Headquarters has given timelines to troops to regain Gwoza and Bama. Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the ceasefire has got stuck along the line because of what a source described as “interwoven interests and power play.”

It was gathered that the non-involvement of the nation’s security agencies and military hierarchy contributed to the failure of the negotiation on the freedom for the Chibok girls.

A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence, yesterday said: “The so-called ceasefire pact or agreement is virtually dead. Those driving the deal in the country have also lost the steam because there is no headway. In the past two weeks, the talks had been stalled.

“The negotiation was purely political without the knowledge and the input of the military and security agencies. Those who spearheaded the deal knew little about intelligence and military diplomacy.”

The source added:  “The Chadian government has the capacity to attack the Boko Haram group which is partially operating within its territory.

“It is suspected that there is a kind of truce between Chad and the insurgents who have not been striking in Chadian territory. So, it is a case of ‘don’t attack me, I will not attack you.’

“And the backlash of the negotiation on Chadian government has made it not to get too much involved again.

“The Chadian government is unhappy that its intervention was misinterpreted to the extent that it has to be reacting to certain allegations on its relationship with Boko Haram.”

Source:
The Nation Newspaper