A suspected Boko Haram militant, who has fled
the sectarian camp in Magumeri forest and was
captured by the civilian JTF at Baga Road motor
park, Maiduguri, revealed a horrifying truth.
Suspected Boko Haram militants in the camp
have turned into cannibal because of severe
food shortage that lasted for days.
Magumeri forest is about 150 kilometres from
Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
Mallam Momodu Bukar, the suspect, told newsmen on
Saturday in Maiduguri, that he fled the forest camp on
Thursday after it became obvious that he was going to
be eaten.
"I thank God that I escaped because I would have
been slaughtered by now to provide meal for my
colleagues at the camp," Bukar said.
Bukar has been apprehended by a youth vigilante
group active in Maiduguri and known as 'the Civilian
JTF,' on Friday.
According to him, the Boko Haram sect members have
been in the forest since May, after being knocked out
from Marte, Marte Local Government Area, by the Joint
Task Force (JTF) in the course of 'Operation Restore
Order,' which has been declared in the framework of
the State of Emergency.
"Our group, consisting of about 300 well armed
combatants, headed for Magumeri on the orders of
the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, shortly before the
military took over Marte Camp.
"We have been wandering in the forest. We have
exhausted our food and water supply, and so,
everybody became hungry," Bukar narrated.
The group lost contact with Shekau due to the closure
of GSM services by the Defence Headquarters.
"It all started last Monday when three of the
combatants in camp died of acute hunger, and it
became obvious that all of us will die if action was not
taken.
"The leader of the group, Abu Omar, directed that a
non-combatant member be slaughtered to provide
meal for the rest.
"The meat provided meal for the combatant for just
two days and another person was killed in the same
manner on Wednesday.
"So, it became certain that I might be the next person,
since I am also a non-combatant member."
"I left the camp on Thursday evening after agreeing to
fetch water from the village.
"After leaving the camp, I started running until I
arrived at Magumeri town, so, I slept in the motor park
before boarding a vehicle to Maiduguri with the little
money on me."
Bukar says he was caught immediately after his
arrival at the motor park in Maiduguri by the youth
vigilante group.
An official of the vigilante group, Mallam Ajid Asheik,
said the suspect would be handed to the Joint Task
Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order (ORO) for
investigation.