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The scourge of Boko Haram has continued to claim thousands of lives, and billions of Naira worth of properties destroyed in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria where the insurgents are holding sway, and throwing the nation into deep mourning at any slight provocation. The sanctity of human life has been violated as mayhem is continually unleashed on the hapless residents of these areas by the insurgents. Thousands of people have also been displaced as a result of the callous activities of Boko Haram. Some of the displaced persons are currently being haboured as refugees in make-shift camps in Maiduguri, Bornu State, Cameroun, Chad and other neighbouring countries.

Our correspondent who visited one of the camps in Maiduguri, Bornu State reported the poor state of living in which he found the displaced persons. The federal and the state governments have been called upon to provide them respite in order to ameliorate the plight of the displaced persons. Yet their condition has remained the same. Their hope of getting respite from the government may have been dashed as efforts to get the government’s response to their poor living condition have always

In spite of the federal government’s effort in curbing the menace of this dreaded terrorist group. Yet the situation has remained worrisome as reports of soldiers deployed to fight the insurgents are being ambushed and killed on daily basis. How the insurgents have been able to snip into the intelligence gathering of the security agencies has proven a hard puzzle to solve. The presidency has blamed it on sabotage by the opposition party that has wrested power from it, but the opposition has continually dismissed the report of the presidency with a wave of hand, saying that the presidency is playing politics with human lives.

Recently the President Mohamadu Buhari, has described Boko Haram has a fraud of the worst sorts, and called on the people of the effected states not to allow them settle in their land. It could be recalled that, during the electioneering campaigns of the President, he did promise that he will bring back the Chibok Girls, who were kidnapped by members of the Boko Haram in March, 2014 within two months if elected president. But during presentation of Certificate of Return to the President by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a television reporter asked him how he intends to bring back the Chibok Girls in two months.

Rather than affirm his promise made to the Nigerians on which his victory was anchored, the President denied making such promise. In his words thus, “there’s no way I could have made such promise because, as once a GOC, who understands the security challenges of the country, I couldn’t have said that I will bring back Chibok Girls in two months.” When the reporter pressed further, he responded thus, “alright, I’ll bring them back if they are still alive.” This attitude of the President calls for concern as regards if he will have the will power to end insurgency in the country. On the premise of lives being lost, many Nigerians being cut short in their prime, many being displaced and many serving as refugees in camps by the activities of Boko Haram, having conversing with one with Mr. Tony Akolade, a victim of the Hoko Haram insurgence; he told us how he has lost friends and colleagues during one of their attacks on his way home. Their names are Doyin Bright, Muhammed Bature, Emeka Isaac Ora and Igbavboa Benedict Oladeinde, their Chief Security Officer (CSO).

The attack which he described as a well designed ambush, as they journeyed to their residence all in one vehicle after closing from work in a security outfit in Maitama, Abuja. Mr. Tony in his words hinted thus: “it all happened so fast; we were all unarmed and helpless; our vehicle was forcefully put to a stop by an unknown gun man, who stood in the middle of the road with a sophisticated weapon pointed at our vehicle. He suddenly shot at us, the bullet cut through the windshield and hit Mohammed, who was driving and Doyin sitting at the front seat next to him. The vehicle lost control and crashed into the bush. I found my self running for my life deep into the bush. I was terrified and couldn’t think but kept running further into the bush only to find my (CSO) running right behind me, shouting don’t stop, keep running. We kept running as some of the men were pursuing us with gun shots rattling behind us.

I and my CSO managed to escape death by the whiskers. Doyin and Mohammed’s bodies when recovered few days, brutally chopped to pieces, both murdered in cold blood by this maniac. Emeka was later found dead in the bush with bullet cutting all through him.” He was embittered as he recounted the virulent scenario which took place in February 2014. “After this incident, further attacks and attempts were made on our lives; some of my colleagues had to quit the job to save their lives, since the Boko Haram members will not stop ambushing and attacking every personnel of the security company, as we were instrumental to the success the security agencies were making in the war against Boko Haram, as the security company affiliated to the Joint Task Force, which comprised the civilian, army, navy, air force and other security agencies in the country which aims and responsibility were to assist in intelligence gathering which has lead to some major arrests of the Boko Haram members, and handed over to the Police sometime in December, 2013 for immediate prosecution.

They were consequently jailed with varying degrees of jail terms.” Following myriad of jail breaks where some Boko Haram inmates escaped into town and reinforced. Several other incidents occurred, and the grand of it was the bomb blast that rocked Iyanya Motor Park on 14th April, 2014. We got attacked again in March 2014 this time; it was a kind of a reprisal attack by the Boko Haram in our quarters where most of us lived including our CSO Igbavboa Benedict Oladeinde, who was lucky to have travelled out of the country 2 weeks earlier before they stormed our quarters. His home was raided, his two guards on duty were brutally murdered in cold blood on finding out he wasn’t home and had left the country from the guards.

This is a day I will never forget so soon in my life, Mr Tony said. “They marched every one out of their apartments and made them watch the barbaric act they put up slaughtering Austine, my colleague like a goat. I’d broke into a suck away at the back of my house after a brief shoot out, and the infiltrators has suddenly stopped following terrifying scream from different apartments. I knew I had only one option and that was to flee to safety, our guards have been over powered and I couldn't fight them on my own. People call me a coward, well anyone in my shoes would have done the same, that’s an instinct of survival, I got into the sulk away and remained there as they searched through my apartment and found no one. They moved into other apartments. I remained there in fear, couldn't even remember or did perceive the noxious odour of excreta oozing from the suck away. I remained there till the next morning before I was helped out from the sulk away, every one that survived that night will have a tale to tell their loved ones.

Most of us flee the town that Morning to various places for safety. Some left the country for fear of being killed. And those who are lucky enough to have left the country are better advised to remain there for their own good until their safety in the country is guaranteed. I have been living in rat holes and crawling out only at night to scavenge to survive. I had to stay away from my family and friends for my safety and theirs as well, its better this way”, Mr Tony hinted. As you read this, many are hiding in places where they are denied right to freedom and better life because they rather remain in isolation than end up dead in their supposedly comfort zone as result of the cold hearted under takings of the insurgents.

Many Nigerians may be going through similar experiences, but the big question is, when would this dastardly act of insurgency and senseless killings end in this country? Recent reports indicate that the Boko Haram endless menace continue in homes even as the joint military force engage them in gun dwell; insurgents resort to using woman and children as shield, making it difficult for the military to penetrate or brake their defence. Some of the children mostly girls recently rescued in sambisa forest will require intensive medical care as most of them are traumatized by the brutal killings, rape and other forms of brutality they have been subjected to.

Now, residents of this great nation and victims of this Boko Haram insurgence are left with a statement and mind set of uncertain security consciousness; when will the people of this grate nation be free from this insurgency. I guess this a major issue our President Gen. Muhamadu Buhari will have to trash out once he is sworn-in. He has to guarantee every citizen and immigrant of this great nation reassurance of peace, good sense of security and Safety.

Culled from Citi Watch Magazine

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