by Adeyemi Olalemi

Adeyemi Olalemi
One of the Military checkpoints on Yola-Mubi road

Many hypothesis, speculations and unanswered questions have been bandied over Boko Haram Insurgence. While the news of daily bombings filtered in, people only wondered what Boko Haram terrorists could be up to. Unfortunately fellow innocent countrymen and women in the northeast continue to die in terror attacks. Boko Haram Insurgence has claimed over 25,000 lives with at least 200 Schoolgirls still missing. This is a mind-boggling disaster that should raise even more serious concerns for government and her people irrespective of geopolitical zones, tribes or religions.

Amid speculations on whether Boko Haram terrorists group is an Islamic agenda, or it is an international ploy to weaken the giant of Africa, or that it is an upshot of poverty, Greennews.ng embarked on a fact-finding trip to Boko Haram most ravaged towns In Adamawa state.

Touching down at the Yola International Airport, on December 29, 2015, the city appeared peaceful despite two suicide bomb attacks in Madagali Local Government Area of the state just 24 hours earlier. Two passengers on the plane confirmed that Yola, the state capital, was peaceful despite discouraging newspaper headlines that morning.

Oloyede, a Lagos resident, said he was going to Adamawa for business purposes. He confirmed that Yola was peaceful but wondered why people would engage in terrorism, killing innocent citizens and destroying their own country.

At the Airport, the photographic list of 100 most wanted Boko Haram terrorists released by the Army was visibly displayed at the security check; an indication that the airport was at red alert as Military declared manhunt for prime Boko Haram suspects.

Photo: Ayo Ogundimu
One of the checkpoints. Photo: Ayo Ogundimu

Through the three-hour drive from Yola to Mubi town, nineteen (19) checkpoints and roadblocks were encountered. Most checkpoints were manned by the military, some by the Police, while vigilantes manned some other road blocks. All the Military checkpoints had the photographic list of 100 most wanted Boko Haram terrorists conspicuously displayed with a painted notice stating that: “Do not give or take bribe. Report such acts to the following numbers 08059538128…”

Soldiers conducted security checks diligently with firm body language that warned commuters against bribes or any exchange of monies. The Soldiers were not ready to leave anything to chance as they painstakingly screened every passing vehicle and its passengers.

But reaching the first Police checkpoint manned by Operation Tsaro in Hong LCDA, Policemen were first sighted collecting bribes from motorists; it was an unfortunate memory of the Nigerian policemen and extortion of motorists at checkpoints.

In one of the towns, Gombi, the security checks were heightened. The most recent attack in the town was last October, when terrorists attacked their police station and set it ablaze.

Meanwhile, Hong town, just about 10km to Gombi, which was last ravaged during the October 2014 Boko Haram attacks still had the remains of the attack quite visible with abandoned structures of burnt houses, demolished buildings and fairly deserted streets. The only bank in Hong, an old generation bank, suffered a massive destruction that was yet to be rebuilt. People’s frustration on their commercial activities in such a big town without a bank cannot be underemphasised.

Fatty, a resident whose house was burnt during the Boko haram invasion said he and other residents fled the town, leaving their properties. He said he escaped to Kano during the attack, while others sought solace in anywhere they thought was safe. Fatty, who was a trader in Hong before the attack, returned jobless as commercial activities had been almost completely paralyzed.

One year after, Fatty was only sitting in front of his ravaged house with other unemployed returnees. He and his brother had to make a shed in their roofless house just to make shelter. Fatty said the roof was destroyed by terrorists after setting the building ablaze.

Some Boko haram-ravaged homes in Hong LGA
Some Boko haram-ravaged homes in Hong LGA

At Hong, It would be difficult for even a bird to gallivant suspiciously as Soldiers appear battle-ready. The atmosphere suggested that security in that part of the state had been challenged. Boko Haram captured Hong same time it captured Mubi on October 29, 2014.

Boko Haram controlled every tiny space from Hong Local Government Area to both Mubi North and Mubi South, about 100km distance, including Kala and Mararaba. These terrorists controlled large expanse of land as large as distance between Ibadan to Lagos in the southwest and Abia to Ebonyi state in the southeast.

It is still puzzling how Boko Haram could take over large expanse of land and towns, capturing the Nigerian government agencies, state institutions, schools, police stations, military barracks, Emir’s palace and every other thing that existed in these towns. This could best be described as the biggest invasion in the history of terrorism in Africa.

The Greennews.ng trip was the beginning of unimaginable revelation of Boko Haram’s activities in worst-hit towns in Adamawa state. It unmasked 25 top secrets of the deadly Boko Haram monsters and the Northern Nigeria.

Source: http://greennews.ng/must-read-fact-finding-trip-to-boko-haram-most-ravaged-towns-in-adamawa-state/

.