Boko Haram Orders Chibok Indigenes To Vacate Home

(Female members of Boko Haram)

Senator Iroegbu and     Adedayo Akinwale  in Abuja

Chibok indigenes in Borno State under the auspices of Kibaku Area Development Association friday alerted the federal government to a quit notice served on the community by the terrorist Boko Haram group.

Also friday, the military announced the arrest of three suspected female terrorists “who have been secretly recruiting ladies into Boko Haram’s female wing.”

The Chairman of the Chibok nation, Dr. Pogu Bitrus who spoke at a press conference in Abuja said that residents of Kautikari and Kaya town had received what the Boko Haram sect termed final notice to attack the towns again and ordered the residents to vacate the village or face total annihilation on their next visit.

Bitrus said: “As a matter of urgency, we wish to alert the general public and the international community that after the attack on four villages of Kautikari, Nguradina, Kwada/Kaumutayahi and Kakulmari on Sunday 29th June, 2014, which recorded 105 deaths, the residents of Kautikari and Kaya town have received what the Boko Haram sect termed final notice to attack Kautikari again by advising residents to vacate the village or face total annihilation on their next attack which has been promptly reported to the security agencies".

Bitrus disclosed further that  Kaya town in Damboa Local Governemaent Area attacked on July 3, 2014 received a stern warning from the Boko Haram insurgents after the attack to vacate their town; given that they constitute an obstacle on their way to invading Chibok (Kibaku) Nation.

The Chibok Nation also expressed dismay over “the inability of the federal government to provide adequate security for the people.”

Bitrus said the capacity of the military in the villages “is just like a platoon, which is not more than forty.”

He said: "Today is 81 days since the abduction of our girls and in spite of the categorical statements by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), that the location of the girls is known to the government, the appalling situation and agony encompassing the unfortunate abduction saga and detention of the Chibok girls by the Boko Haram insurgents continues and the rescue efforts by the government is yet to yield result.

"While this unfortunate situation persists, many distressed parents are dying of heart attack and frustration as their dejection has become unbearable. On record, seven parents have lost their lives due to the trauma of the situation.

"Unfortunately, again, the Federal government has not provided adequate security in the Chibok area since the unfortunate abductions of April 14 even in the face of persistent attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents."

Bitrus said Boko Haram had so far carried out 15 attacks on the Chibok Nation involving 19 villages with over 229 killed and over 100 injured.

“Some of the victims of these attacks are parents and relations of the abducted girls, thereby adding more pains to the traumatic condition already inherent in the Chibok (Kibaku) Community."

Bitrus said the inability of the federal government to provide adequate security in the area had further exposed Chibok town and its environs to greater danger and insecurity.

He stressed that security in the area was being provided by the local vigilante who are ill- equipped and the Police “while the soldiers in Chibok sit by and watch villagers being helplessly massacred in their homes, farms and in places of worship.”

The chairman lamented that there was looming famine in the Chibok and environs as a result of the terrorists’ activities and other social and medical challenges due to the overcrowding of Chibok town by the mass influx of people from adjoining villages and local government areas.

Bitrus disclosed further that the inhabitants of Tsilari and Shawa villages had already been completely dislodged and the villages taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents and their flag hoisted. 

"Worthy of note is the fact that 90% of the attacks were carried out with advanced notice to the residents by the Boko Haram insurgents which were subsequently reported to the relevant security agencies concerned but no action was taken to avert any of the attacks or even respond during the attacks."

The Chibok indigenes however demanded among others, that the government should negotiate with the Boko Haram sect with a view of securing the release of their girls and also to establish  a rehabilitation center in Chibok to address psychological, medical and traumatic effects of the abduction on parents, escaped and yet to be rescued girls and the Chibok community.

The group also wants government to station an army battalion in Chibok town.

Meanwhile the military has arrested three suspected female terrorists who have been secretly recruiting ladies into Boko Haram female wing.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Deputy Director of Defence Information (DDDI), Col. Onyema Nwachukwu.

Nwachukwu said that the suspects, Hafsat Usman Bako, Zainab Idris and Aisha Abubakar were intercepted  while travelling to Madagali from where they were to transit to the forest to reunite with their cohorts.

According to him, investigations revealed that the suspects, led by Hafsat Bako, have the mission to recruit members into the female wing as well as conduct espionage for the group.

He said: "Hafsat’s link with the terrorists group had earlier been a subject of investigation in 2012, when security agents on a man-hunt for one Usman Bako, her husband who was identified as a terrorist, stormed their residence in Jimeta. This resulted in the discovery of an AK 47 rifle and 2 loaded magazines".

"Though Usman Bako later died in an encounter with troops in Sokoto where he had relocated to continue his terrorist activities, Hafsat continued with the terror group specializing in surreptitious recruitment of members into their fold," he noted.

Nwachukwu revealed that the arrested trio suspects were luring ladies especially widows and young girls by enticing them with male suitors who are mainly members of their terror group for marriage.

He said before their arrest, “they were on a mission to take additional briefing from the leadership of the terror group.”

He added that the trio had been operating together as members of the intelligence team of the group.  

"Their arrest has yielded information still being verified by security agencies," he said.