What We Saw in Boko Haram Camps
Driving
through the dusty road that led to Sambisa forest where the infamous
Boko Haram terrorist group pitched some of their camps was one hell of a
bumpy ride into a thickset of arid forests that characterize the
savannah region.
Bumpy,
jarring and dangerous as the bush paths were, the tour of the sacked
camps provided anyone with the trained eye of a reporter, a great deal
of insight on the true colour and character of the so-called Islamic
Jihadists.
The
Sambisa forest, which they turned into a recruiting ground and
operational base is a vast expanse of nature, which was designated
‘Games Reserve’ by government. The intention was to keep, protect and
preserve our priced species of wild animals and other elements of nature
in their natural habitat. As it has turned out, the Games Reserve now
seemed to have been reserved for a band of misguided blood-thirsty
fiends who slip in and out of the belly of the forest to wreak havoc in
the northern part of Nigeria.
Without
doubt, Boko Haram’s violent campaign in Nigeria since its emergence has
carved out a bloody trajectory, etching its gory sense of agitation in
our wounded hearts and leaving the rest of humanity outraged. What
manner of shocking violence has the Boko Haram group not visited on
Nigerians since their violent campaigns? From bombing innocent
worshippers in the sanctuary of their churches and mosques to beheading
of defenceless citizens, kidnapping women and children and detonating
Improvised Explosive Devices(IEDs) in workplaces; name it, they have
carried it out in Nigeria. Their campaign of violence has so far claimed
over 3000 innocent lives yet they are baying for more blood of fellow
Nigerians!
Known
for their defiant posture and grim determination to hold on to
actualize their nihilist agenda, the terrorist group stepped up its
intransigence by actually sacking institutions of government in a number
of communities in Borno state. The so-called Jihadists, who claim to be
fighting on behalf of Islam, took over communities and forcibly
conscripted young men into their fighting force and made women - their
sex slaves! They violated Nigeria’s sovereignty, burnt her flag and
hoisted theirs, strutting around those hapless communities like an
all-conquering force. That was before their nemesis arrived.
On
proclamation of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States by
the President and Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, the
Special Forces of the Nigerian military moved in and dislodged the
devils from their camps; the troops are currently ‘sweeping the forest
clean’.
As
our escort vehicles meandered through the forest path to reach the
sacked camps, the gory sight and eerie feeling that now characterize the
desecrated grove was inescapable. The first thing that assaulted our
sensibilities was the sight of charred vehicles, refrigerators, sewing
machines, coolers and such other items, which were apparently stolen by
the terrorists. We were told that as the terrorists retreated, they
destroyed any item they could not run with.
Then
we saw fresh shallow graves of gang members who were summarily executed
by their kingpins. We stumbled severally on strange stuff, which
bespoke the true colour and character of our so-called Jihadists. In
almost all the camps we visited, we saw countless number of syringes,
hand gloves and test tubes obviously for administering narcotic drugs;
also scattered in their camps were used and unused condoms! In fact one
of my colleagues couldn’t help asking no one in particular, “…so these
devils are even afraid of venereal disease?”
From
the accounts of their victims that were rescued by troops, the
insurgents repeatedly raped women they abducted from various
communities. According to one of the rescued children, “the terrorists
are always injecting themselves with something after which they will be
behaving abnormally as if they are in a trance”. It is certainly not
surprising to learn that the insurgents engage in substance abuse to put
them in the right state to perpetrate the atrocious crimes they carry
out against innocent Nigerians. Indeed, what could be deadlier than the
combination of drug intoxication and evil indoctrination?
It
was also gathered that whilst the kingpins of the evil association live
a life of luxury in the camps, their foot soldiers endure subservient
condition with instant death awaiting any dissenting voice or suspected
mole among the zombie-like subordinates.
Tucked
away, therefore, from the prying eyes of frightened locals and outraged
country, the Sambisa forest and other camps hitherto provided this
deranged group a sanctuary where they met their various kinds of weird
fantasies, all in the name of fighting for the Islamisation of Nigeria.
The question is, are these moral degenerates and blood thirsty fiends
actually fighting on behalf of Islam? The answer is certainly no because
Islam abhors all that the terrorist group indulges in or stands for.
Will they win this war they are waging against Nigeria? Against, the answer is resounding no.
By Chidi Omeje