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
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