A large number of Boko Haram terrorists on Sunday 23 July, 2017 attacked members of Adamawa State Hunters’ Association in Dagu village on the Borno side of the border, killing the hunters’ legendary commander, Bukar Jimeta, and two of his men before sneaking back to Sambisa Forest. The raid, assessed to have been a special mission to assassinate Jimeta, has left behind helpless civilian communities even as it raised questions about the new dimension which the protracted insurgency in North-Eastern Nigeria is taking.

Witness accounts show that[b][/b] 20 hunters were lost in the bloody battle, which pit the brave fighters against some 200 well-armed insurgents[b][/b]. Inside sources told Daily Trust that the loss was incurred due to “unserviceable guns, lack of bullets and basic communication gadgets as well as zero means of transportation”. Yet they were able to withstand the much superior firepower of the assailants who attacked with rocket launchers, AK-47s, and more, unleashing a seemingly unlimited barrage of ammunition.

In the aftermath of the four-hour gun battle,[/b] the surviving hunters found it difficult to get a vehicle to transport the fallen heroes to their families after a group of soldiers that visited the scene two hours after the encounter, declined to assist according to another source[b].

A hunter who witnessed the incident said: “The soldiers arrived after two hours and when we asked them to help us with means of transportation to evacuate our fallen colleagues, they declined and drove.”

Late Jimeta and his fighters - including a famous huntress, Aisha Gombi - have been hunting down members of Boko Haram since 2014 when insurgent attacks spread to Adamawa from Borno, the epicenter of the insurgency, after Boko Haram overran several military formations to rule over a large territory spanning parts of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

This group of volunteers under the overall leadership of Usman Tola, the Chairman of the State Chapter of the Hunters’ Association has killed hundreds of armed insurgents in the battlefields of Northern Adamawa, Southern Borno and around Sambisa forest, despite logistical challenges and lack of motivation from government.

Hunters and local vigilante groups fought side-by-side with the military in efforts to reclaim Gombi, Hong, Mubi North, Mubi South, Maiha, Michika in Amawa as well as Gwoza, and Askira in Borno at the height of Boko Haram’s rampage three years ago.

The Nigerian military had consequently dismissed many soldiers in courts martial, many of whom were later reinstated under the present administration of Muhammadu Buhari who accused his predecessor Goodluck Jonathan of monumental corruption in arms purchase and of failure to provide equip with proper equipment. A number of military chiefs and politicians are currently standing trial over their role in financial scandals related to arms procurement.

Testimonies from hunters who[b][/b] fought beside Jimeta during his last moments painted a vivid picture of his bravery and how he sacrificed the last drop of his blood in defending the nation against terrorists, using his last bullet to confront insurgents.[/b] Sources revealed to Daily Trust that the late hunter shared his bullets with his subordinates who had only a few in the hour of greatest need.

Jimeta left behind four wives and thirteen children.

Narrating the incident, a 25-year-old hunter, Abdussalam Muhammad, who fought beside Jimeta, said more than 200 insurgents invaded Dagu village at about 6 o clock in the morning mere moments after his group received information about the imminent attack. “It means they spent the night around the village. [b][/b]A Fulani man had informed us that Boko Haram just robbed him and other members of his community of their cows and it seemed they were advancing toward our direction, so our commander Bukar Jimeta asked us to move out and face them in the forest before they reached the village[b]. We divided ourselves in to two groups. Jimeta, Malam Umar, Ali Chibok and myself formed a unit while Sulaiman Ahmadu, Ali Sarauta, Usman Sarauta, Daluta, Abba AK, Kurma Mudallab, Danfulani, Ado Maigafiya, Respect Danbachama, Auwalu Danbushiya, Adamu Mahauchi, Ishaya, Dagwama, Bokan-Kilaketa, Kaka and Baba Haruna form another unit. Two of our men, Adamu Billaji and Baba Jibrillla were sent on errand to Lassa town during the attack. The second group had already engaged the attackers elsewhere in the forest before their bullets ran out.”

Muhammad said the insurgents killed one of them, Baba Haruna. “When four of us, including the commander, heard gunshots from the village, we rushed back to defend the village. We met dozens of them at the house where our commander stayed and fighting erupted. I had three bullets, the commander gave me three more,” he narrated.

Muhammad continued: “As the battle raged, Malam Umar was shot in the leg but he refused to give in until the enemy caught up with him and shot him twice in his chest, while Ali Chibok’s gun suddenly failed to fire, forcing him to retreat. [/b]At that moment, the commander was shot in the back of his head but he managed to tell us to flee, an order obeyed reluctantly because it was difficult to abandon a dying commander[b]. When the enemy realised that the young Abdussalam who fired from behind a wall ran out of bullets, they swooped on him but he escaped luckily despite several shots fired at him. And on his way to safety, Abdussalam [/b]saw the Fulani man who earlier reported the Boko Haram presence to them lying lifeless and bloodied, so he carried him into the bush[b].”

Muhammad said when Jimeta fell, the attackers quickly surrounded him while he called on his men to withdraw. “[/b]The insurgents quickly sprayed more bullets on him before returning straight to the forest without further attacks on the village. They carried with them a dozen of their dead and a number of wounded comrades.”[b]

Abdussalam lamented the neglect of volunteers fighting Boko Haram by government as most of his colleagues faced Boko Haram with dane guns due to lack of support from the authorities, adding that the hunters could play a key role in locating and defeating Boko Haram if government assisted them. “[/b]We abandoned our trades to help fight Boko Haram, but see how our commander was slain. Most of us possess the type of dane gun which is clumsy to handle. Yet we kill insurgents. What do you think we can achieve if government supports us?”[b]

Abdussalam said it took his group many hours to evacuate the corpse of their commander because nobody could help them.

Another hunter, Sulaiman Ahmadu, noted that prior to the attack, the community had promised to donate locally-made equipment but failed to do so, saying that could have given them an edge over the insurgents. “There was no signal in the area and we did not have gadgets to communicate and seek for help from the military, stationed about 10 kilometers away. The only way to reach out was through a messenger. We are ready to continue fighting Boko Haram. This is a continuous struggle, but we need adequate weapons,” he said.

When interviewed by Daily Trust in Yola, the Administrative Secretary of Adamawa Hunters Association, Salihu Buba, said he believes the insurgents were on special mission to kill Jimeta, who had constituted a great threat to the insurgents along Borno-Adamawa border. He lamented that with the killing of Jimeta and withdrawal of hunters from the area, the villages around had become exposed with residents fleeing to Lassa town for fear of more attacks. “[/b]It is pathetic that people are becoming IDPs at this stage of the war. We hunters call on federal and state governments to back us with sophisticated weapons and transportation to enter [Sambisa] forest,[b]” he said.

Saleh Bukar, an 18-year-old son of the deceased commander - and a secondary school student - said the family will miss their breadwinner, describing his late father as a patriotic man who sacrificed his life to save many.

A female female huntress, Aisha Gombi who served under Jimeta in the frontlines described him as humble, caring and uncompromising in his resolve to defend the civilian population from Boko Haram. “He’ll always be remembered as the hero he was,” she said.

The whole scenario begs the question: How soon before the authorities realise the invaluable resources which the hunters - well-versed in the territory and terrain - could prove in taking down Boko Haram? Very soon, if the push by the hunters, and other concerned citizens, are anything to go by. Before then, the hunters who have become targets of the insurgents, will continue to fight their own battles.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/boko-haram-vs-hunters-inside-adamawa-s-other-war/210667.html

Government has to do the needful to support these hunters.

These hunters crushed Bokoharam in Adamawa

The government should please support those hunters, they are fearless

they need more ammunition and support