Borno: When Boko Haram created wave of refugees

[Mirror]

The declaration of emergency rule in Borno State, following Boko Haram's insurgency, has forced many residents to flee and take refuge in neighbouring Cameroun and Niger republics. INUSA NDAHI, visited these places and writes that the refugees are reluctant to return home.

Borno State, which is the epicentre of Boko Haram sect and now under emergency rule, has forced over 20,000 Nigerians living in Ashigashiya, Ngoshe, Jubrili, Abadam, Malamfatori and other mountainous and desert areas of Gwoza and Abadam local council areas of the state, to take refuge in Cameroun and Niger Republic.

Our Correspondent who accompanied the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Zanna Umar Mustapha with other government functionaries to the communities, observed that over 20,000 Nigerians have crossed over the river boundaries in between Ashigashiya and Cameroun, Abadam/Malamfatori and Bosso, Niger Republic, where they all vowed not to come back.

They said that they are tired with the system of Government of Nigeria as they alleged that they have been chased out of Nigeria by Boko Haram insurgency and the ongoing military operations in the state.

Although some Christian leaders in Barawa, Ashigashiya and other communities in Gwoza said, all the allegations are not true; instead, it is politically motivated. Reverend James Ayuba, a Christian leader in Barawa in an interview with our Correspondent said, all those who fled to Cameroun villages are guilty of being associated with Boko Haram, as the security agencies deployed to the area are doing their responsibilities according to the rules of engagement.

However, narrating the reasons that forced them to relocate to Cameroun to the Deputy Governor, Abdul Ashigashiya alleged that their people in Ashigashiya, Ngoshe and other villages along the border are being killed by men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) since the declaration of the state of emergency in the state.

He said "I have lived in this community for the past 50 years, and I have never seen one of my people who killed his/her fellow human being in the name of religion, but it is unfortunate that Nigerian soldiers are coming into this community with a list killing our people that they are members of Boko Haram."

He said the only means that would make them come back to their houses is when the government has assured them that no any soldier that would come to harass them any longer. Corroborating Abdul's claims, Mallam Sidi Ali said, the people of Ashigashiya have been living in cordial relationship between Christians and Muslims, but immediately after the declaration of the state of emergency, specifically on June 15 and 24, over 10 people were killed in the community including a Principal of Government Secondary School, Ngoshe by the JTF, and that all their complaints to Colonel Hassan who is in charge of security in the area fell on deaf ears.

Also speaking, a civil servant with the state Ministry of Agriculture, Suleiman Dalhatu and Abubakar Talamu, who are among those who crossed over to Cameroun, alleged that they have lost many of their relations to the JTF and nothing would convince them to come back to Nigeria.

They claimed that they were satisfied with the assistance being rendered to them by the Camerounian Government. A teacher with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Chikide village who is among the refugees that fled from Agapalwa to Jubrili village of Cameroun Republic, Mr. Musa Hassan said, some of their people are ready to come back to Nigeria if government will guarantee their safety from both Boko Haram sect and the JTF. "We are really suffering.

As you see me now, I am a teacher with the UBE; I don't have anything to eat with my family. We relocated to this village for over three weeks now; we have nowhere to stay not to talk of what to eat.

Sometimes I have to go to some of the villages in Cameroun to seek work to feed my five kids". Hassan stated. Mustapha, while addressing the refugees/ displaced persons in Ashigashiya town assured them that government has provided food items for them to come back and resettle in their various houses. He pleaded with them to bear with the suffering they might have encountered in the face of security challenges bedevilling the state.

He said government will start to monitor the activities of the JTF, as any security agent that kills innocent civilian will face the wrath of the law. He assured the refugees that no military or men of the JTF would harass them again, if and when they would ensure peace and unity amongst themselves irrespective of their religious or tribal affiliations.

Mustapha urged them to emulate the effort of the vigilante youths popularly known as 'Civilian JTF' in Maiduguri, who have been assisting the security agencies in identifying and arresting members of Boko Haram, which he said, have really helped in solving the security challenges in the state.

He urged the traditional, religious leaders and stakeholders to select about 150 to 200 volunteered youths in each of their community who would be paid monthly allowances by the state government in talking the security challenges in their domain, as according to him, security of lives and property should not be left in the hands of security agencies alone, but a collective responsibility. Likewise, the border communities of Jubrilli, Kughum and Barawa in Gwoza Local Government Area have been directed to return home and form their own youth volunteer vigilante groups, consisting of 100 members each to patrol their villages and protect them from Boko Haram or military invasion. The Deputy Governor gave the directive when he visited the localities following reports that the villagers had fled into Cameroun for fear of the Boko Haram and military attacks. Addressing the people of the three villages who had assembled at the border on the side of the Cameroun Republic where they had gone to seek refuge, the Deputy Governor said, "I have heard your complains as to why you left your villages and crossed over to Cameroun. I want to assure you that if you agree to work together to defend your villages from the Boko Haram and also agree to handover all Boko Haram among you to the security, the soldiers will no longer come to look for them in your villages". "You will have to ensure that there are no more killings. I am therefore directing you to form youth volunteer groups consisting of 100 to take the responsibility of patrolling your villages. These volunteers must be made up equally of Muslims and the Christians among you to forestall any abuse." Zanna explained that in Maiduguri, the state capital is witnessing relative peace as volunteered youths who are now addressed as 'Civilian JTF', have taken over the operation stop- and- search in their various wards which led to the arrests of several Boko Haram members before handing them over to JTF. He informed the refugees that if they will emulate such gesture, no security agencies will visit them, as they will be the ones to safeguard their communities against Boko Haram infiltration. Earlier the villagers from all sides had been accusing one another of inviting the military by giving them a fake list of alleged Boko haram members who were taken away to nearby bushes and shot dead. When our Correspondent asked Peter Zadva a Christian why he fled his village, he said, "The Boko Haram were hunting for all Christians in the area to kill us, so I fled". On his part, Usman Warabe a Muslim said, "The soldiers were killing the Muslims alleging that we are Boko Haram so I fled". At the end of the visit the refugees in Cameroun Republic had agreed to form the vigilante groups as directed by the Deputy Governor. In the same vein, the Deputy Governor Mustapha urged the 6000 communities of Abadam local government area who fled to neighbouring town of Bosso in Niger Republic following the military operations against Boko Haram insurgents to return home

National Mirror

[Folami David]

All I know is whatever evil plan they have for us in weeks or months to come will surely backfire at the end of it all. They've caused so much havoc already!