attacks and killings around towns and villages of Borno State were
arrested yesterday at a refugee camp in Maiduguri, Borno state.
They were said to be faking to be part of the Internally Displaced
Persons, IDPs from Baga, Leadership reports.
According to the Civilian-JTF operatives deployed to provide security
for the arriving displaced people of Baga after the terrorists attacks
last week, said the arrested men had joined other IDPS to enter
Maiduguri with the intention of spying for their colleagues in the
bush.
Giving his confession, one of them, Gambo Muhammed, a 27-year-old
native of Gaya in Kano State said he was forcefully conscripted into
the sect through diabolic means, adding that he was never a lover of
the sect.
Muhammed, who was fished out by another conscripted but non-combatant
Boko Haram member who was helping the Civilian-JTF to identify members
of the sect that may have disguised as IDPs said he had only killed
six people since he was forced to join Boko Haram last year.
He explained that he was forced to join the Boko Haram sect after some
members of the group threatened him and several others to kill them
and their family if they refuse to pick up arms and fight against
non-members.
"I and over 40 other young men were forced to become Boko Haram
members in Baga town when Boko Haram gunmen came to round us up in the
mosque.
"When we were taken to a bush camp near Konduga we were given some
water that was used to wash off some Arabic inscription from a wooden
tablet, and we were also given a fresh date that was rubbed with some
substance to eat. After eating mine, I felt some internal heat, and
then I began to sweat profusely; that was all that I could remember
and I became a full member of the sect doing everything other members
were doing including killing people.
"I killed only six people...and I swear it was not more than that
figure; in fact I was even forced to do it when we went to Konduga and
we wanted to forcefully take some people's livestock of which the
owners said they won't allow us go with them even if it was for the
purpose of doing "God's job. So, one of our leaders asked me to step
out with my gun and ordered me to kill the people and he warned that
if I refused to do as commanded, they would shoot me. So I had to
shoot them all," he said.
According to the Provost of the Civilian-JTF, Lawan Zanna, who led the
team that arrested the three Boko Haram suspects, his team had so far
arrested about 270 of such Boko Haram members who would join the IDPs
to the camp either to escape being arrested or as spies.
He added that the three arrested Boko Haram members are still being
investigated with a view to revealing where some of their members who
may have sneaked into the state capital could be fished out.
Last weekend, Boko Haram launched an attack in Baga and 18 Nigerian
female soldiers were reportedly kidannaped.
Boko Haram militants were said to have razed at least 16 Borno State
towns and villages in another series of multiple attacks.
However, the coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike
Omeri said Nigerian troops have launched a serious offensive against
the deadly Boko Haram sect in an attempt to reclaim Baga and other
parts of Borno State overrun by the insurgents.
--infonaija
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