A Boko Haram suspect (names withheld) in the custody of military forces in Maiduguri, Borno State has revealed how the insurgents source guns for their nefarious operations including the recent attack in the neighboring Damaturu town of Yobe State.
The 22-year-old man told journalists in Maiduguri on Friday evening that guns used for attacks were often hidden in sacks and conveyed to members of the sect in the bush on motorcycles.
He recalled the October 6 episode that culminated in his present born-again posture, maintaining that he, like most young members of the sect, were forced into Boko Haram. The insurgents had attacked Damboa on Sunday, October 6, few days to Eid-el-Kabir but the attack was reportedly foiled by military troops and the insurgents fled the area with varying degrees of wounds. But the young man was abandoned by his colleagues-in-arm, believing that he was dead.
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He however, survived though with a leg injury, to tell his story. The story of blood-letting that has caused people pain and anguish for three years now.
“My brother and I were living in a house here in Maiduguri where he kept his AK47 rifle. He called me one day and said I would be held responsible should soldiers come to the house to retrieve the gun and he threatened to kill me,” he disclosed as he wobbled into a small room with his crutches to meet reporters.
His confessions
“I deliberately wanted to talk to journalists to help me tell youths not to join Boko Haram because it won’t do them any good. We carried out an attack recently on a Sunday at Damboa (Damboa Local Government) after the morning prayers but the operation was bad as I was shot in the leg by the security people. My colleagues attempted to carry me but left me and fled at a point because they thought I was dead. So they left me in the bush. I writhed in pains in the bush until a time by noon when I mustered all the remaining energy in me to crawl and got to a road. I saw some children and explained my situation to them. After sometime, some policemen came and took me to their station. I told them I wanted to confess even if they were going to kill me that I had wanted to leave Boko Haram sect but I was in a difficult situation. I couldn’t leave because they would kill me if I attempted to and if I continued, either the security or the Civilian JTF will still kill me. I asked for water and the police officer ordered food and some energy drinks. I opened up to the policemen at the station and I was later moved to a military barracks where the soldiers have kept me since. They took me to the hospital to treat my wound and they’ve been giving me good food since, compared to when I was in the bush.
How I Joined Boko Haram
I was forced to join the sect by my elder brother. We were living together in a house here in Maiduguri where he kept his AK47 rifle. He called me one day, sometime last year and said I would be held responsible should soldiers come to the house to retrieve the gun or arrest him since I was the only one (non-Boko Haram member) that knew he had a gun and knew where he kept it. He also threatened to kill me if I disclose his secret. I was afraid and decided to join Boko Haram so that I would not be killed. I have been a member for about a year now. I didn’t take any oath, I don’t even know about any oath taking. I was told I was working for God and that whatever happened to me was destined by God. “It’s Allah’s work”, so they told us. Our superiors usually counted us every week or at the end of every attack to know those killed or those who have fled the group. We had to seek permission if anyone of us wanted to go somewhere aside from our operations. Some of us ran away but were often located, brought back and slaughtered on the order of our superiors. I once ran away to Lagos and I was brought back but I’m lucky they didn’t kill me.
Is Boko Haram insurgence holy?
Well, they always tell us that we are doing God’s work and that Allah will reward us for our deeds. It’s now that I am not with them that I realize that what we were doing was evil but if you’re there, you will think what our leaders were saying was the truth. They were killing people, confiscating their property, forcibly collecting money from them especially traders. I have never slaughtered anybody but I have witnessed slaughtering by the sect.
How we got our guns
Our leaders are supplied different guns which I understand come through Sambisa area. When a new member comes, the superior will bring out an AK 47, dismantle it and assemble it again before the new member. The superior will repeat the same exercise again and give you the gun to do what he did earlier and then ask the person to pull the trigger. That’s all. They keep the guns in sacks and convey them on motorcycles to where we are going to attack for distribution among ourselves.
Life in Boko Haram camp
Life is very bad and excruciating. It’s like hell. We were about 150 in each camp with our commanders. We drink contaminated water, eat poor food and had no clothes. Also we hardly take our bath or have time for ourselves. Sometimes we don’t even eat and that is why we often break shops and houses and steal food available whenever we attack since we cannot come to the town to buy food. I was fair in complexion before I went into the bush with the Boko Haram sect, but I’m now very dark because of the hardship at the camp.
We have doctors who administer treatment to wounded members as well as mechanics who repair our vehicles and motorcycles. We also have different people who are skilled in various professions and trade. Everybody has one thing or the other which he does. We often steal medicines from patient medicine shops or pharmaceutical shops anytime we go for attack. We replenish our supplies with different drugs confiscated either from hospitals or medicine stores. We don’t take drugs in our camp and honestly I don’t know anything about kidnapping of women or people. Our targets are only policemen and soldiers but we started killing people on the road because of activities of Civilian JTF. That was why we carried out the Beneisheik attack. Our leaders said we should kill any passenger who comes from Maiduguri because Boko Haram believes Maiduguri people are their enemies. We perceive everybody in Maiduguri as Civilian JTF.
My advise to youths
I urge youths not to join Boko Haram because they’ll regret it. You can leave once you join and you won’t live a normal life once you’re there with them. Life there is dehumanizing and very bad. It’s worse than the life of a refugee because we sleep in open places, suffering and alone in the bush. It’s hellish. If I am given the opportunity, I will assist security agencies in bringing this problem of insurgency to an end. I plead with the government to forgive me and understand my predicament,because I did not join Boko Haram willingly. My brother forced me into it when he threatened to kill me if I expose him and today he is no more. He has been killed during one of our attacks. I wish I could go to school and do something positive for the society.
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