From Abu Qaqa, spokesman of the dreaded Boko Haram, came a stunning revelation that suicide bombers have no choice than to accept an assignment. He said no member of the Islamist sect volunteered to take part in suicide bombing.

According to the sect’s mouthpiece, it is like the worst of dilemma for any member to be picked for the job of suicide bombing.
Qaqa, whom other members of the group insist is not the real Abu Qaqa, was arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) in Kaduna last week. He is still in the SSS custody from where he is saying all he knew about Boko Haram.

“It is a game of utmost loyalty by compulsion where a member handpicked by the group must comply because either way, being picked means being marked for death. You accept the offer and end in death, or refuse it to still end that way.”
According to Qaqa, “no suicide bomber of the group volunteers or ever volunteered to die that way. They are usually handpicked. Once you are handpicked, it is death either way: If you refuse, you would be killed on the orders of the leadership. So, while faced with such two options of death, most selected members grudgingly or willingly preferred the suicide bomb option far away from their wives and children.

“At a point, some of us thought suicide bombing was ‘cowardice’, but confronting the leadership with such a position would have come with a price: death.“What was bad about those handpicked for the suicide mission was that all of them were non-Kanuris. They were always Chadians, Nigeriens, Cameroonians, Hausa, Fulani and others. No Kanuri was ever selected. That was why some of us had divided opinion on it,” the arrested hitman revealed.

The terror suspect had revealed earlier in the week that members who showed signs of attack weary are in the presence of family members and because of this, those selected for the job prefer the honour of killing others as heroes than being brutally killed in the presence of family members. He said also that picking of members for suicide mission is the exclusive preserve of the Boko Haram leader, Imam Shekau, who himself is Kanuri, and possibly the reason he never selected any of his ethnic group for the journey of no return.

Today, it is beyond doubt that Qaqa, who himself and the group had disowned as the notorious spokesman, whom all the declarations of the group were attributed to, is actually the right person, thereby making him the biggest catch of the security system so far. He made the last revelation yesterday to the SSS in continuation of his interrogation.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Joint Security Task Force confirmed yesterday that four Boko Haram members were killed in the enforcement of security operations in Mariri Area, Warara Local Government Area.

Briefing reporters, the task force’s spokesman, Lt. Ikedichi Iweche, said that on January 6, 2012 at 5pm, the sect’s members opened fire on his men even without provocation. He noted that the officers exercised the needed restraint, but were forced to respond within minutes, especially when it became clear that the suspects had Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) on them and were freely throwing the explosives at the joint security team.
“The Joint Services Assault Team had to effectively cordone off the area and engage the men in a sustained gunfire which lasted till about 3.40am.

“It was observed that the occupants of the compound had substantial firepower and continued firing and throwing IEDs indiscriminately”, adding that eventually, the reinforcement was able to subdue the gunmen. He said that at the end of the stand-off, four casualties were recorded on the side of the suspected terrorists while no member of his team was killed. Lt. Iweche stressed that thereafter, a search conducted on the premises revealed that the suspects’ facility, which was attacked, was actually a bomb manufacturing facility as well as an operational warehouse.

He noted that they recovered several IEDs (unexploded), 10 AK 47 riffles with 27 loaded magazines of ammunition, one pump-action gun , 223 live ammunition in packets, several mobile police uniforms and assorted identity cards to facilitate their operations. Besides, several bags of Urea fertilizers as well as assorted connection cables for detonating IEDs were seized.

“The success of the operation was hinged upon the fact that these materials would have been unleashed not only on the Joint Security Forces, but on innocent members of the public as was witnessed sadly on January 20, 2012,” he declared. He thanked the people of the state for their overwhelming support, adding that they have been providing them valuable information.

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