Residents revert to traditional communication mode in emergency states

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TWELVE days after the shutdown of the Global System of Mobile Communication by the Military Special Operations (MISOP) against the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, residents and farmers in Borno State have resorted to traditional means of communication to reach their relations, friends and business associates.

The traditional means include the use of markets, schools, mosques and hilltops bordering Chad and Cameroun Republics at Gwoza and Pulka in Borno State, and Madagali and Michika in Adamawa State, which are under emergency rule recently declared by President Goodluck Jonathan.

As the cell phones of over 2.5 million subscribers were rendered useless since the shutdown of the four telecom firms’ services by the military troops on May 16, 2013, some of the residents have resorted to market places to pass their information to relations and friends.

A housewife and mother of three at the Maiduguri Monday Market, Hajiya Jumai Yakubu, told The Guardian on Sunday: “Oga, as I cannot now communicate with any of my relations to pass information with my handset, I met one of my friends in this market and have already relayed the important information to her so that she can tell exactly the message.”

Asked what the message was, Jumai said: “This information that I could have sent through my cell phone is very important and confidential and would not be publicly disclosed to you newsmen.”

Residents that could not go to markets pass or relay information through their relations or business associates, employ their children in primary and secondary schools to orally pass or deliver written letters to recipients living in other areas of Maiduguri.

Besides schools and market places, some residents use the churches and mosques. At the Gomari Central Mosque in Maiduguri, which accommodates over 1,500 worshippers, about 250 parents exchanged confidential information through reliable relations or friends. The Guardian also learnt that such orally passed information include naming ceremonies, funerals and weddings billed to take place in other parts of the metropolis.

For a resident of Gomari, Alhaji Yahaya Aminu, “for the last one or two weeks, we cannot use our cell phones to pass or relay confidential information. What some of us do is pass such information through other relations or friends we meet at this mosque, otherwise, the continued shutdown of four GSM networks by the soldiers has cut us off completely from our relations, other friends and business associates in Borno State.”

Border towns and communities at Gwoza and Pulka in Borno State and Madagali and Michika in Adamawa State can still use their cell phones, provided such calls are placed on hilltops bordering Chad or Cameroun.

Musa Mohammed, a trader and resident of Gwoza, last Wednesday called the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to respond on the state of Boko Haram insurgency in the area after the military troops bombarded their training camps at Sambisa Games Reserve (SAGR).

In the interview with the BBC, Mohammed was able to describe and relay the true security situation in Gwoza and border areas, including the number of traders at the market, and the fears that gripped the people of the town as farmers carry out their usual social and economic activities.

Confirming the continued shutdown of GSM networks in Borno, spokesman of Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said that the temporary shutdown of networks was to ensure “effective and efficient” operations of the military against the Boko Haram terrorists in emergency rule states of Borno, Yobe and

Adamawa.

However, the six roads closed last week have been re-opened to residents and other commuters, while the two roads leading to Bama, Gwoza and Mubi, and Damboa and Biu remained closed to prevent the insurgents escaping from the destroyed training camps in the SAGR forests.

Lol, this just the beginning. Next time una no go throw bomb like mango again