MAIDUGURI—Some members of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, arrested
yesterday at Mairi ward behind University of Maiduguri by members of the
Civilian JTF vigilante group, have confessed that most of them are
fleeing the Sambisa Forest to areas across Borno State owing to what
they believe is spiritual attacks from mysterious snakes and bees, which
had killed many of their leaders.
sambisa-1According to Kolo
Mustapha, one of the arrested insurgents, “most of us are fleeing
because there are too many snakes and bees now in the forest. Once they
bite, they disappear and the victims do not last for 24 hours.
“We
were told that the aggrieved people who had suffered from our deadly
mission, including the ghosts ofsome of those we killed, are the ones
turning into the snake and bees.”
‘Our leaders fled, too’
He
said some of their leaders have escaped to Cameroon because they are
known to the Nigerian authorities and could be easily identified.
According to him, those of them who lived all their lives in Maiduguri
have nowhere to run to. So they returned and tried to sneak into town.
He
said they came in last night and were trying to hide in some
uncompleted buildings, when some members of the Civilian JTF saw them.
He
said: “We are pleading with them to spare our lives. We were forced
into the sect. But we know that it is not the right way. I personally
have never killed anyone, but I have my friend here who had killed many
people.”
Umar Abor, the other arrested sect member said Kolo Mustapha was lying as they had participated in all heinous acts of the sect.
He said: “We have fought together since 2010. We have fought in Marte, Bama, Buni Yadima and Gwoza. We were not in Chibok. We have not seen the girls, but we heard about the issue.
“Our leaders have been talking about it and we have been following all news from the radio. We decided to flee when almost all our comrades are leaving the Sambisa because of constant attacks by snakes and bees, which we were told was as a result of Chibok abducted schoolgirls.
“They (our leaders) told us that it was our enemies and aggrieved people that are hunting us through diabolical means. We were in the forest in 2010 and 2011. We left and came back last year but we have never experienced such attacks.
Umar Abor, the other arrested sect member said Kolo Mustapha was lying as they had participated in all heinous acts of the sect.
He said: “We have fought together since 2010. We have fought in Marte, Bama, Buni Yadima and Gwoza. We were not in Chibok. We have not seen the girls, but we heard about the issue.
“Our leaders have been talking about it and we have been following all news from the radio. We decided to flee when almost all our comrades are leaving the Sambisa because of constant attacks by snakes and bees, which we were told was as a result of Chibok abducted schoolgirls.
“They (our leaders) told us that it was our enemies and aggrieved people that are hunting us through diabolical means. We were in the forest in 2010 and 2011. We left and came back last year but we have never experienced such attacks.
“That
is why they believe the Chibok people are using juju to pursue us
because of their children said to have been taken by our leaders.” ‘We‘ll reveal our hiding place’
According
to him, they have realised their mistakes and repented, promising that
if they are spared they would help the community in fishing out some of
their comrades and will lead security agents where their comrades had
fled.
One of the leaders of the Civilian JTF said many of the
sect members had been fleeing the Sambisa Forest in the past two weeks
and that most of them are being arrested and taken to the authorities,
except when they resist arrest, in which case they are left with no
option but to kill them.
He said: “These ones have not attempted to run or do anything bad. They promise to take us to where they hide their weapons. We are taking them to the chairman of our sector command before they are handed to security operatives.”
He said: “These ones have not attempted to run or do anything bad. They promise to take us to where they hide their weapons. We are taking them to the chairman of our sector command before they are handed to security operatives.”
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