The Military, Borno Elders And Boko Haram
Source:nigeriantribune
Gov Kashim Shettima
According to an eyewitness, Badigma Bukar, 45, a woman who carried a
plastic bag, planted the bomb at the roundabout, which went off by 4.40
p.m.
Residents of the area were said to have accused members of the Joint
Taskforce, Operation Restore Order (JTORO), of being the masterminds of
the blast as well as a selective burning of shops belonging to the
natives.
But spokesman of the Joint Taskforce, Lieutenant Colonel Hassan
Mohammed, said reports that the Boko Haram sect had again attacked a
military patrol vehicle at one of the roundabouts in Shehuri ward were
received at about 4.45p.m. According to him, “Our men were able to repel
the armed sect with the exchange of gunfire. There was no soldier
killed in the blast. But three of our men and two passers-by were
injured. The injured military personnel and civilians were taken to the
University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for treatment.”
However, Bukar, in a telephone interview with Saturday Tribune, said
that in Limanti ward, four bodies were found, in addition to the two
found at the Budum roundabout, the scene of the blast. He added that
while the market was burning, two bodies were also found by the road
side.
“The killings and the injuries were caused by the devastating bomb
blast and the exchange of gunfire between soldiers and the sect members
that attacked the military patrol vehicle with bombs and rifles in
Shehuri North ward,” he said.
On whether arrests were made as a result of the incident, Mohammed
said: “No, not at all. In the exchange of gunfire with the Boko Haram
gunmen, some of them fled in different directions with gunshot wounds,
while others carried away the bodies of their colleagues to unknown
destinations in the metropolis.”
The Joint Task Force, again clashed with the sect members and killed
one of them in a shootout at Custine area of London Chiki ward in
Maiduguri. Mohammed stated that the sect members always appear like any
other law-abiding Borno man, adding that they are not only bomb
planters, but shooters as well.
Lt. Col. Mohammed said it was not the intention of the military to
always kill the attackers, but the soldiers, sometimes, were left with
no option, particularly when they were under heavy fire from the
insurgents.
“We are military men and our duty here is to maintain order, our
message for the people is that they should go on with their normal
businesses, as no soldier kills just for nothing. We are to protect the
people. This development is a plus for the military and it has
vindicated us that these people (Boko Haram) are the ones going about
planting bombs and killing people, for which the JTF is being accused.
“We are assuring the people of protection of their property. At
least, for the sake of our presence, you can see that people are now
returning to the state, children are going to school and banks are now
in operation,” he explained.
It is recalled that Tuesday last week, the Nigerian Society of
Engineers (NSE) condemned the alleged raid, on Thursday, July 21,
between 6:00 p.m and 8:00 p.m at the office complex of Sani-Mustapha and
Associates at No. 12, Shehu Laminu Way, GRA, Maiduguri, by personnel of
the JTF.
During the alleged raid, one Engineer Kamsalem Bukar, a senior
employee of the company and Technical Secretary of NSE, Maiduguri
branch, was shot in the back. The NSE described the raid and assault on
its members as senseless. According to it, “these are law-abiding and
hardworking members of the community and there was no justification
whatsoever for the raid.”
But Lt. Col. Mohammed told Saturday Tribune that the JTF was not
aware of any raid on the day in question, adding that every member of
the JTF accounts for every bullet and this had been a routine. He said
that the claim by NSE was baseless.
Oluseyi Petirin, CDS
The
JTF, queried: “Can they identify the soldiers if they claim that it was
the JTF that went and shot the engineer or the vehicle used for the
raid? What about the Boko Haram? Why didn’t they blame the Boko Haram?
Why is it that it is always men of the JTF?
“You should know that some of these people are not happy with the
presence of JTF in the state. But one thing they should know is that if
there is peace in the state, the JTF would not come, but because they
don’t want peace, the JTF will always be there to ensure law and order
as well as protection of innocent citizens.”
The NSE, adding its voice to the security situation in the state,
also called for full investigation of the incident by the authorities.
It said as key contributor to the development of the state and the
country at large, it was not condemning the act because it affected one
of its own, but the humiliation and trauma of sporadic gunshots could be
agonising to anybody.
Following the bombing at Budum Market, the Chief of Defence Staff
(CDS), Chief Air Marshall Oluseyi Petirin, who visited Maiduguri, said
that the Armed Forces and, indeed, the Joint Task Force was not in the
business of discussing or negotiating with anybody on the current
security situation in the state. He stated that the defence headquarters
in Abuja was happy with the operations of the JTF in the state and
would continue to reinforce it with men and necessary logistics until
peace was totally restored in the state.
He said one of the challenges facing the JTF had to do with
understanding and assistance of the people of Borno State that would
help bring the current situation under total control, noting that
contrary to some opinions, government did not send the task force to
Maiduguri against anybody in particular or any religious sect. He
declared that the task force was against anybody or group that is making
life difficult for others.
“We are against all those who are throwing bombs in market places,
not caring who is hurt. We are against those who go about shooting
people for no reason whatsoever. Even if a man is guilty, you have to
try him first; you don’t just shoot a man to death. We are against all
those people and we don’t care to which religious sect you belong,”
Petirin said.
Also speaking on the Borno elders’ call for the withdrawal of the
military, the CDS said, “this is a free country and everybody has the
right to say what he wants to say and as such, even the Borno elders
have the right to say what they want to say, but I am busy re-inforcing
the task force and they are going nowhere.
“The people who are affected by these crises are not living in GRA.
How many markets are in the GRA where these bombs are being thrown? So,
the people would cooperate, they know where their interest is, and in
fact, they are cooperating. We have some of the people who are telling
us that we are doing a good job. Of course, there are one or two
mistakes which we would address, but generally, we are doing a good job
and the people are happy with us,” he explained.
Speaking on the alleged excesses of the military, Petirin disclosed
that already, about five members of the JTF were undergoing punishment
for contravening the rule of engagement. He said every trooper was aware
of the rule which is published and anybody who goes against it would
face sanction.
Comments