How safe is Maiduguri with an estimated 19,000 Boko Haram Fighters in the City?

How safe is Maiduguri with an estimated 19,000 Boko Haram Fighters in the City?

By: James Bwala, Maiduguri

While speaking on the progress the Nigerian Military is making in the ongoing fight against the Boko Haram insurgency. The acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko disclosed that a total of 15,628 members of the Boko Haram sect, including some members of their families have so far surrendered. This was said to between October 29 and November 11, 2021. 

Also, reports of arrests of Boko Haram/ ISWAP fighters currently in military custody puts the number to over 3,000 fighters. How scary? Putting these figures by simple arithmetic implies that there are an estimated 19,000 Boko Haram fighters in custody within Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. Whether these fighters are repentant or arrested, there is one unifying force about them. They were all brainwashed individuals with religious doctrines that left them dangerous to themselves and the society.

Residents of Giwa Barrack area of Maiduguri hinted that when these fighters began to shout from the prisons where they are kept within the Barracks, everybody in the area was awoken to fear. This has continued to raise questions among the residents as to why are these people are still being kept within the vicinity where constantly they reminded the people of the pains they are living with in the last 12 years? NEWSng spoke with residents and citizens of Borno state about recent happenings in the state and what they think about such a huge number of terrorists living with them in the capital. 

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“If I should have my way, I had told the authorities to move these people out of the state for good. Nobody is happy about them being kept around here. But the common man has no say, and that is why we are living with it. Sometimes when these people began to shout in the night especially, they scare people in the neighborhoods. That was how my neighbor had to relocate to the Bullumkuttu Abuja area because of the noise and the fear it creates in his children. ” Alhaji Umar Gana, a civil servant in Maiduguri told NEWSng.

According to him, his fears always are that if these Boko Haram elements break their cells or an attack comes and they some how open the cells and grab weapons the havoc they may make would be much greater. “You know how they attack in the past? There was a time that there was a security breach when they (Insurgents) used to come through the Molai road. There was a time if you remember that they attacked the barracks and many escaped. Although the place seemed fortified now but the terrorists also have advance especially with the kind of weapons they are firing into Maiduguri now.

“I will be pleased to hear that these people are removed from here. Usually military barracks are supposed to be far away from the civilian populace but development has brought about a situation whereby the barrack is now at the centre of the community here. We have no problem with the military. They have been moderately living with civilians but those bad elements in their custodies are our worries.” He said.

Speaking with a top government official who prefers not to be mentioned said, “Those ISWAP or Boko Haram elements in the custody of our military should have been wasted. They are nothing but a threat to society. I mean those who were captured as prisoners and are kept in custodies within the barracks. Amnesty International can say whatever they want to say but they are not aware of the problem Borno is facing with the continued keeping of the terrorists in military custody. These are fighters who are trained to operate weapons. Should anything happen – God forbid, but Maiduguri will be in flames.

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“If Amnesty International is the reason why they are still being kept in custody by our military, they should prepare a place for them in Europe or America and let the Nigerian government transport them to Britain or America since they want them. These people have killed so many people that a mere thought of them around us creates more fear. Over 100, 000 widows are not sleeping well knowing they are now living with those who cause them pain.

“Orphans and relations of people they killed are always being reminded by their presence here in the city. In the northeast and especially in Borno we do not want them. Now you are talking about reports and about 19,000 of these murderous elements living in Maiduguri, I am already getting scare by the number! Maiduguri can never have peace if the government allows them continuing stay in the city.. Forget about the politics going on that over 15,000 of them are repentant. What they have demonstrated recently by protesting over who slaughtered meat for them did not show sign of repentance. These people are still murderers.” He said.

A security source told NEWSng that the measures being put in place would never allow breach of peace within the city of Maiduguri. According to him, the worst that Insurgents can do is to only fire rockets from a distance and measures are being put in place to deny them such opportunity again. This has buttressed the claim made by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu following the rocket attacks on Saturday December 4, 2021. But with over two million people currently living within Maiduguri, there are calls on the government, the military and other security operatives to be on guard especially with those surrendered Boko Haram fighters in their custody.

Isa Ayuba, a resident of Gomari whose house was also hit by rockets from last Saturday’s attack, told NEWSng that as a civilian, he may not understand the military strategy in the prosecution of the ongoing conflicts in the northeast and Borno state. But that all he knows for fact is that the day these so-called repentant Boko Haram protested, they created fear among the residents to the extent that when the story filtered that many families fled their homes. People are not comfortable with them around but no one will talk to the authorities about this.

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“Yesterday I watched an interview from the Channels TV. People are beginning to speak about their fears. We are not comfortable with these Boko Haram elements being kept here. This is not just an opinion of a few Borno citizens living inside Maiduguri. But also our people, who are living in faraway places like Lagos. My brother, who is living in Rivers, had asked me several times about this. They are concerned about our safety.

“When friends call from other parts of the country they ask how we are coping with the situation and the numbers of these elements being brought into Maiduguri by the day in the name of repentance. They ask why should the government keep those repentant Boko Haram inside Maiduguri and so on but we have no answer to this. I actually share the same sentiment and fear with the people. As the numbers keep piling, our fears and doubts also go with it. This means we may be living sooner with 30,000 or more and that is even more dangerous.” He said.

Aliyu Mohammed told NEWSng that, when the Boko Haram crisis started in 2009. They were without experience in handling weapons. “Some of them are even afraid. They had only bow and arrows and matches. Those holding den guns are few yet they broke into police armory, they killed so many people and were instrumental to thousands of residents fleeing out of the state. I think the government should not relax that these people are turning into good citizens. Snakes can be pets, but snakes are still snakes.

“These fighters have killed people, they are now more fearless. They know how to handle dangerous weapons very well and at the slightest provocation they are capable of unleashing terror to the society. I do not think Maiduguri is as secure as the government or the military are seeing it. Perhaps we are still looking at the situation from our minds that are full of fear. But you know, no one sees a snake around his legs and stays calm. This is the situation with us in Maiduguri. It is like bringing snakes around and telling us to remain calm while we sleep in the same room.” Aliyu said.

How safe is Maiduguri with an estimated 19,000 Boko Haram Fighters in the City?