http://odili.net/news/source/2012/feb/11/313.html

Untold secret of the survival of Boko Haram Sect in Yobe

Special Report Saturday, February 11, 2012

By Osita Okolo

Long before the advent of the Boko Haram insurgence, Yobe state, in north-east Nigeria was well known for its ethno-religious conflicts often leading to loss of lives and properties. But these have been largely been contained over the years and the activities of the religious extremists had limited consequences on the socio-economic life of the state.


A burnt house

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Business and social activities managed to thrive on despite the tension created by persons who seem not ready to accommodate the existence of other faiths outside their own.

But the campaigns of the Boko Haram sect were to change all that for the worse. Yobe state, with a large land mass is probably the least populated state in Nigeria. It has five major towns namely: Gashua, Ngurru, Geidam, Potiskum and Damaturu. The last two are the biggest. While Damaturu is the state capital, Potiskum remains the business hub-nub of the state. The two principal towns have since become ghost cities.

This is because most of the residents have relocated to safer places due to the Boko Haram insurgency. Southerners have since returned to their native villages. As for the natives of Yobe state doing business in the two cities, they have relocated to rural communities (where they have become refugees in their home state) with no assistance from the state government.

In Potiskum, the intransigent Igbo traders (at the expiration of the three days grace for southerners and Christians warning to leave the state) had their shops razed down by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.

According to Mr. Igwe Mazi, an Anambra trader resident In Potiskum, "About 100 shops belonging to Igbos and other southerners were burnt in Potiskum in December, 2011 with the state government not compensating anyone. The police have been helpless in dealing with the situations. Dozens of policemen have been murdered by the sect. We have resigned the situation to God." He added that although hundreds of the dreaded sect members are in detention all over the state none had been prosecuted and convicted.

Bomo Haram (BH) in Yobe

Although the Islamic fundamentalist group originated in Kanama, Yobe state, Maiduguri has for long been its headquarters since the late Mohammed Yusuf started his romance with Borno politicians. But the sect had always maintained a very strong presence in Damaturu. Sometimes in December, 2011 at the peak of havoc done in Maiduguri by the sect members, the Yobe State Commissioner of police boasted that there were no Boko Haram members in his state. He was made to swallow his words less than a week later.

That was when the sect closed down Damaturu after effectively destroying police headquarters, Federal Secretariat, State Secretariat, JTF headquarters and three commercial banks (after looting the funds inside them) in the state capital. The sect also bombed or razed to the ground the entire churches in the town along with several houses belonging to southerners. In spite of what northern leaders say about the sect killing more Muslims than Christians, Boko Haram had never hidden its objective of seeing the total eradication of Christianity from Nigeria.

The operation which started from 6pm and lasted till 6am the next day led to the loss of over 100 lives including 17 policemen and was only rivaled by the recent Kano serial bombing incident of January 20 2012 claimed over 200 lives including a journalist with the Silver Bird Media outfit, Mr. Akogwu Enenche.

Grassroots support

In Damaturu and Potiskum- towns separated by about 100 kilometers, Boko Haram members abound everywhere: the business sector, academia and even in the civil service. But it was not until their first major operation in Damaturu last December did people stop underrating their strength and influence in the state. The second major encounter sometimes in late December was equally shocking. The sect had openly told the police that they were in Pompamari residential ward, an area close to the Federal government owned polytechnic.

The police ordered the residents of the area to vacate immediately. The ensuing confrontation led to the death of the Assistant Commissioner of police in charge of the operation to flush them out and the Officer in charge of the Damaturu anti-riot mobile police squad, both men northern Muslims. The hapless officers were ambushed and killed. It was reported that the sect had armored vehicles and practically outgunned the police and the JTF members who were drawn from the army. The JTF that were supposed to flush the criminals had their office complex and all their operational vehicles burnt to ashes. Government was thoroughly embarrassed. Thousands fled the state in droves.

During the December clash, the sect effectively mobilized an estimated 500 fighters who lined up at major streets of Damaturu and held sway for 12 hours. Mallam Isa Damaturu (not real name), a three bedroom Gujba Road resident related how the men mounted heavy guns from his house and faced the adjacent police headquarters. He observed that the sect did not attack the residents of the estate who were kept awake by sounds of heavy guns throughout the night.

Observers who saw the fighters noted that many of them were well known members of the community with some obviously unknown. Their ability to mobilize over 500 fighters undetected without the knowledge of the State security agencies, including the police only shocked those who were unfamiliar with the secret behind the successes. Those identified fighters were not unemployed youths or thugs as wrongly propagated by arm-chair analysts in their attempt to misinform the public on the reason behind the insurgence. They were traders, artisans and business men.

Not many people are aware that religious motivated killings in Yobe did not start with BH. A look at the turbulent history of the state since its creation will help unearth the remote cause that gave birth to the sect. Musa Soho, a native of Kukar Gadu in Fika LGA and a minority Christian told this reporter that 'The seed of Boko Haram which is today being harvested in the entire Nigerian society was sown by those who decided to throw Nigeria's constitution that stipulates secularity. Before the advent of Boko Haram, everything started and ended with Religion. Your religion would determine whether you will become a permanent secretary or Director in the civil service. Most of us have had to change our names to Arabic name for us to gain admission into higher institutions of learning, gain employment or scholarships for our ward. So the road to Boko Haram started long ago. Nobody is addressing all that now. Nobody is talking about respecting people's right to their personal faith, " lamented the retired civil servant in his early 60s.

How BH gets weapons

A police officer who spoke to this writer claimed the sect captured the big weapon from the police after a surprise raid in Damaturu that caught the police napping. As for their notorious AK 47, a good number of these were believed to have been smuggled into the country through Machina- a border town with Niger Republic some 350 kilometers from Damaturu through sea of sand dunes. Substantial arms and ammunition were equally smuggled through Baga, a town about an hour's drives from Maiduguri that borders with northern Cameroon. Some of their arms were also smuggled through the borders with Chad. The one advantage for the sect is that Maiduguri had borders with three countries: Chad, Niger and Cameroon. All these borders are very wide and porous and are all within an hour's drive from Maiduguri. The recent war in Libya that led to the toppling and killing of Muamar Ghaddafi reportedly made more arms cheaper and more easily accessible to the rebellious sect.

A BH member and his Igbo friend

There was this story of this young man, Obinna Ikechukwu. Obinna lived with his parents in New Jerusalem area of Damaturu. In an interview with this writer, Obinna said, "My parents traded in palm oil and my three siblings graduated from the Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu.

I decidedto continue with my parents' trade after obtaining my School Certificate. I hada friend, Ibrahim (real name withheld). We both graduated from the same secondary school and had remained friends, years after leaving school.

One day, I told Ibrahim that the family would be relocating to the east for fear of being harmed in the crisis. That was after the sect's major attack on the city in the month of December, 2012."

Ibrahim told Obinna not to worry and that he would ensure that his family and their properties would not be attacked. Obinna was shocked. Who was Ibrahim to give such assurance which even the state Police commissioner could not give? But in the subsequent attack at the New Jerusalem area of the town, Ibrahim kept his words. Even when all the surrounding houses near Obinna's own were torched or bombed, nothing happened to his family house.

Hours before the sect commenced their nefarious operations, Ibrahim called Obinna asking him to remain indoors and not to panic, adding that nothing would happen to him or any member of his family so long as they did not leave the compound. Ibrahim kept his words.

Obinna, his family and property were protected from harm. That was how Obinna confirmed that Ibrahim was a member of the sect.

When this writer asked Obinna why he did not report the matter to the police, he looked confused. Initially, he said he could not trust the police. Next, he said his friend had done a favour to him and it would amount to betrayal if he reported him. But for sometimes now, Obinna has neither heard nor seen his friend. He believes he may have been killed or detained by the security agents.

The killing of Ibekwe, wealthiest Igbo man in Yobe

The Igbo communities living in Yobe have suffered several losses. One of such irreparable losses was the death of Mr. Ibekwe. A native of Isuofia, Anambra state, he was one of the wealthiest business men in Damaturu. According to Obinna, 'The man had one of his big shops along Potiskum-Maiduguri road, near the Damaturu roundabout, opposite AP petrol station. The Islamists had stormed the shop one sunny afternoon in December and ordered Ibekwe to recite Alhamdu (the first chapter of the Islam's sacred book, the Koran). He offered them the sum of N650 cash on the spot.

But they insisted on their demand. Although a non Muslim, he tried but the men were not impressed with his efforts and shot him six times in the head. Although the Isuofia community organized a peaceful protest at Isuofia in Aguata LGA of Anambra state, nothing came out of it. Neither the Anambra state government nor that of Yobe paid any compensation for the terrible loss.

Ibekwe was not just rich, he was very generous. His killing along with several others in Damaturu and Potiskum shocked and pained many. But we were helpless against the onslaught of the fundamentalist group that has become notorious for their heartlessness in dispatching innocent people to their premature graves."

History of Religious Crisis in the State

Yobe state was carved out of the old Borno State in August 1991. The splitting of Old Borno State into two was done in such a manner calculated to produce Christian minorities on both states. No thanks to the northern military juntas whose divide and rule tactics gave birth to endless religious killings.

Had the creation of the state been done otherwise, southern Borno (dominated by the Bura tribe in Biu) and parts of the Babur tribe in Yobe would have resulted to a state where the Christians are dominant and would therefore settle domination by the Muslims and save the loss of thousands of innocent lives and properties wasted in the endless carnages resulting from religious intolerance by majority Muslims.

In September 1994, precisely three years after Yobe state was excised from Borno, a group of young Islamic extremist stormed Potiskum and razed down all the churches in that town including Baptist, Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), EYN, the Anglican Church and of course, the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA). For some mysterious reasons, only the Catholic Church was spared. ECWA, the biggest of the churches suffered the highest losses.

Two of their officiating priests, Pastor Yahaya Tsalibi (from Potiskum minority Christian tribe of Karai-Karai- pronounced Kare-Kare ) and his Deputy Pastor Ezra were murdered on the altar by the extremists. Six worshippers were killed. Countless were wounded. All the cars, motorcycles and bicycles belonging to the worshippers were burnt. The barbaric acts were the handiwork of young Muslim militants.

Although, the survivors positively identified the perpetrators, government neither arrested nor punished them. On the contrary, they took the option of compensating the victims. This effectively confirmed the fact that the killers were agents of prominent leaders of the state who ensured that their messengers were shielded from justice.

The only crime of the victims was that they were Christians. Of course, so long as the killers keep getting away with mass killing in the name of going to heaven, the atrocities will never stop. Mrs. Maimuna Joseph, a ember of Potiskum branch of ECWA Church said 'My husband was given N40, 000 for his destroyed car. He had no option than to collect the money although there was a big division within CAN on whether or not to collect the money.

Many of them prefer to have the culprits punished, after all we know them. Sadly, it was during the military era when government agents were used to persecute Christians. The aim was to make being a Christian unattractive and to Islamize the state. But the campaign is not working. Christianity is rapidly spreading. For every church that is burnt, a bigger one is built in its place when the dust settles. Our leaders who are today crying against the killings by Boko Haram created the atmosphere for the sect to thrive. Now the monster is out of control and consuming those that nurtured it," lamented the ex- school teacher.

In 2004, Mr. Gayus Bala, a Christian (from the Kilba minority tribe of Adamawa state), provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical) located in Potiskum, Yobe state was removed from office by the Federal Government and sent on a course. . This was after a riot by the students of the school. The rioters had gone to town and were later joined by political thugs who burnt houses and shops belonging to Igbos. Their grouse? A female student of the college had alleged that her Koran was desecrated by a female Igbo student.

But at a panel set up by the Federal Ministry of Education (to investigate the crisis and recommend recipe for averting further riots) the girl admitted she had no Koran in the first instance. It was discovered that the girl was used by those who do not want a Christian to head the federal government owned institution. Mr. Gayus was replaced by Dr. Shettima Saidu Abdulkadir, a native of Ngurru and former Deputy Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu. Again, no compensation was paid to anybody. However, some of he principal officers of the college were transferred out of the school for their alleged involvement in instigating the crisis.

In 2001, a mob stormed the Damaturu central police station in apparent attempt to kill a minority Christian who was alleged to have desecrated the Islamic holy book. Luckily the mob scattered when police fired live bullets at them when they persisted to storm the police station and kill the accused, a Michika commercial bike operator who persistently maintained that he had never touched a Koran before not to talk of desecrating one,

In 2007, a faceless individual entered the female hostel toilet of the Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu and wrote some negative things about the Prophet of Islam. And the devil was set loose. Students went to town and as usual churches and business outfits owned by Christians were razed to the ground. The list of the religious riots in Yobe were endless before the master of them all, Boko Haram entered the scene and changed everything.

Why BH strives

Many analysts have attributed the disturbances to unemployment rather than religion. An American envoy recently attributed it to the rivalry between the south and north. Yet again, the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi attributed it to the revenue sharing formula. Yet another northern elder, Adamu Ciroma, a Yobe indigene and a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria blamed bad leadership. Nothing could be more misleading.

It is true that Yobe state had its own share of problems emanating from the Nigerian state, nobody can deny the fact that the various governments of the state allowed religion to steal the peace of the people only for it to turn round to blame poverty and 'disgruntled elements in the society'. Take for example, as poor as Yobe state is, it boasts of probably the largest Mosques in West Africa (or so it was thought when it was commissioned some few years back).

The mosque which was strategically located along Maiduguri-Potiskum road has Koranic schools and Islamic library all built at government expenses. No similar edifice was built for the Christians even though the state belongs to both Muslims and Christians alike.

But Boko Haram, Emeka Okereke, an Igbo resident of the state responded 'The state gets its own share of oil allocation as at when due. If they decide to use their own share to promote religion rather than provide essentia, whose fault?"

The painful thing however is that all of us living here are paying the price of the attempt to Arabize the state at all cost."

Then there are several Koranic schools where people were indoctrinated from childhood. It is on records that that the foot soldiers of Boko Haram were trained in the local Koranic school where the pupils are taught that their primary allegiance goes to Islam and not the state and that they have the duty as Muslims to work towards enthroning the ideal Islamic state in Nigeria during their lifetime.

So when Mohammed Yusuf came with his message of replacing the man made laws with the laws of God, thousands flocked to him in drove as the messiah they had been waiting for.

He lambasted western democracy which Nigeria has adopted as anti-Islam and attributed the spread of corruption and poverty to the system. He advocated the enthronement of the ideal Islamic state as the recipe to the Nigeria problem of poverty and corruption.

Non Muslims who could understand his sermons in Hausa shivered as the preaching were practically inciting Muslims against the non-Muslims in the state. Although Yusuf was regularly invited by the security agencies that put him under watch, nothing came out of it as his disciples always bailed him out. He was the beautiful bride courted by top government officials, judicial officers, politicians and students. He was very popular because he said the things people were trained from childhood to accept as gospel truth. Politicians went to him for counseling and for successes in their endeavors.

Business men went to him for prayers. Students approached him for success in their examinations. In return, they supported his 'missionary endeavors'. At Kanama in Yobe in the early 200s, his group was called 'The Talibans'. A popular member of the group then was the son of a former governor of the state.

'There was a time that Mohammed Yusuf got an Igbo to preach Islam in Igbo language. The preaching which was done in Igbo was usually recorded and played at the Damaturu motor park. Those of us who were Igbo saw it as novice. Not many have heard Islamic sermons in Igbo language. Many Igbos would pause and listen to the strange development and would sometimes smile with amusement', related Emma Ike, a former Damaturu resident now relocated to his home town of Enugwu-Agidi.

Mohammed Yusuf later gained power in Maiduguri but clashed with the police leading to his death following the 2009 riot where the sect burnt several churches in Borno, Bauchi Gombe, Damboa and Potiskum and other northern towns.

His group in the ensuing riots attacked several police stations killing a total of 39 police officers. His members also killed, several Christians including Reverend Orji and the Deputy Pastor of the National Evangelical Mission, Wulari in Maiduguri, Pastor Usen Obong (see pix of burnt church and pastor) and his younger brother who came visiting a day before, Patrick Obong was equally axed to death the sect and hundreds of Christians some of whom were kidnapped and taken to his enclave behind the Maiduguri railway station where they were forcibly converted to Islam and given Islamic names. Pastor Usoro Obong whose wife gave birth a week after his death got no compensation from government. Yusuf's followers were killed when the police stormed the enclave.

The leader of the police team, a Superintendent of police, an Igbo from Ihiala in Anambra state popularly called KC lost his life in the encounter. The story of how the sect's AK 47 could not penetrate his bullet proof body and how he fought the fundamentalists courageously before he was eventually killed with an axe is still celebrated in Maiduguri today by his fellow Igbos. KC who was in his mid 30s was planning for his marriage when he met his untimely death. Yusuf himself was captured by soldiers and was later killed. But that was after he had killed a total of 39 law enforcement officers in Borno state including KC who was heading the anti-robbery taskforce in the state.

Mohammed Yusuf's movement has since outlived him. In spite of the numerous pains the sect had visited on the Nigerian masses, they remained popular in Yobe state. According a Damaturu resident Usman Gashua (real name withheld) 'If government finds it difficult tackling the menace of the sect, it is simply because of the grass root support the sect enjoys in the state. This grassroots support ensured the sect completely take over Potiskum and Damaturu with little effort after a heavy mobilization that escaped the eyes of security agencies. The 'successes' they recorded at two major campaigns in December, 2011 that led to the killings of at least 100 people were facilitated by their supporters who housed them at various houses including government owned facilities before they finally attacked. In Yobe, influential members of the society who supports the group believes that the group were working for God. For those who could not come out and join the group in the campaign of mass murder and arson, it is all envy for the Jihadists as everyone agrees that it takes extraordinary courage to shed the blood of fellow human beings without baiting an eyelid'

Practically all the churches in Potiskum and Damaturu have been burnt and Christian worshippers afraid of being killed have stopped going to church. As things are now, the sect appears to be on their way to attaining their goals where Christianity is eradicated. The situation is not made better by the Yobe state government that has bluntly refused to cooperate with CAN for the reconstruction of the churches and for compensation to be paid to Christians and southerners who lost their business. Nor have the Federal government made any serous move to rehabilitate the thousands of refugees streaming from the north as a result of the unfortunate incidents.

Nothing could be most devastating than when a bread winner is killed at the prime of his life for no just cause. And that was why the kinsmen of Mr. Yusuf Yamari Msheliza, a Chief lecturer in the Dept of Business and Management Studies of the Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, a minority Christian was slaughtered in Damaturu in December by the Boko Haram Sect. His kinsmen were so aggrieved that went to government House Damaturu and demonstrated against the killing and to ask for compensation. But like the demonstration against the killing of Mr. Ibekwe by his Isuofia kinsmen, nothing came out of it.

This is crap. I am not ok with it. His friend still killed innocent people even if him or his family was spared. Anybody that kills innocent people is not a friend of mine.

God help Nigeria and the Children of God in the north,

stayreal:

This is crap. I am not ok with it. His friend still killed innocent people even if him or his family was spared. Anybody that kills innocent people is not a friend of mine.

Gbam!

may God help us, amen

What is dis? Home work? ..do you expect us to read all that? ...

FYI: pple commenting above me didn't even read thru d story