28 August, 2013
A Beached Whale
27 August, 2013
Interview with Boko Haram
Captured Boko Haram Member Confirms Shekau's Death
A suspected member of the Boko Haram sect recently arrested by the Borno Youths Volunteer Vigilante Group (BYVVG) in Maiduguri has admitted that their leader, Abubakar Shekau, was dead. The suspect, simply identified as Baba Goni said Shekau was killed in Marte in May 2013.
His confession, however, contradicts the claim by the Joint Task Force (JTF), which said in a statement released last week that Shekau was wounded in Sambisa Forest on June 30, 2013 and might have died of gunshot injuries at Amitchide village in Cameroon between July 25 and August 3, 2013. Though the JTF said Shekau was injured on June 30, the operation at Kirenowa (Marte) took place in the second week of May. Media reports that three days after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on May 14, 2013 and federal troops mobilised to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. military operatives shelled many training camps of insurgents around Marte. Prominent among the camps were the Hausari and Kirenowa campslocated not far from Nigeria’s border with Cameroon in the northern fringes of the state. In an amateur video circulating in Maiduguri, the alleged Boko Haram member, who is in his early 20s, was asked over 100 questions by the vigilantes. His answers to some of the questions were quite revealing. During interrogation, the suspect, who wore a white singlet and surrounded by dozens of vigilantes said he was certain Shekau was dead because one of their commanders had shown himthe video clips of the funeral prayers of Shekau. He said the commander, Ari Kadai, personally participated in Shekau’s burial rites. A top security personnel said the glimpse into Shekau’s death was based on intercepted communication among Boko Haram leaders. “The sect is being tracked with special gadgets and all the discussions between the leaders, including Shekau, are recorded. We have reliably gathered that Shekau was seriously wounded in an encounter with troops and was taken to an unknown location in Cameroon for medical attention and he had no chances of survival. We have also gathered that he died as result of the injuries he suffered in the encounter,” the personnel informed. He admitted that Shekau’s corpse has not been seen by the security forces. Also, his grave has notbeen located. The source added that Shekau sustained fractures last year in the legs from gunshots in a different encounter and was moved from village to village taking medication. “Months after the fractures have healed, he was wounded again in the hand,” he said.
Meanwhile, the News Agency of Nigeria reported two days ago that dozens of suspected Boko Haram militants in Magumeri forest, Borno, had been starving after being stranded for days without food or water. Magumeri forest is about 150 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital. Mallam Momodu Bukar, a suspected militant, toldnewsmen on Saturday in Maiduguri that he fled the camp in the forest on Thursday when it became obvious that his life was not safe. “I thank God that I escaped because I would have been slaughtered by now to provide meal for my colleagues at the camp,’” Bukar said. The suspected militant was captured by a Youth Vigilante Group, popularly known as the civilian JTF at Baga Road motor park, Maiduguri, on Friday. He said the militants had been in the forest since May, after they were dislodged from Marte, Marte Local Government Area, by the JTF. “Our group, consisting of about 300 well-armed combatants, headed for Magumeri on the orders of the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, shortly before the military took over Marte Camp.
Below is a transcript of part of the interview which was conducted in Hausa language reads:
Vigilante: You have been arrested now, where are your colleagues?
Suspects:They have gone to war
Where?
They have gone to the villages
Have you participated in the killing of anyone?
Yes
With whom did you go and kill your targets?
With Bana Kadai and Ari Kadai How did you join the Boko Haram?
I was in front of my shop and they came and called me. They handed me a gun and said I should hold it for them. They threatened that if I did not obey their orders, they will kill me. I was therefore compelled to take the gun. We went to the main road and killed one Tajo. They showed me a loop and directed that I should escape. We went somewhere and they gave me money. How much did they give you? N1, 500. They then collected the gun and I went home. Later, soldiers came but I escaped. What happened after you escaped? I went to my shop the next day but the guys cameand called me again…I went and told my mother and she warned me not to join the insurgents. In order to convince her, I swore that I will not join the Boko Haram movement. However, one of the guys warned me that I must join them or else I would be killed. We therefore went for training.
What kind of training…shooting training? No, just exercise, I was watching them.
Did you ever flee from Maiduguri when people were being killed?
No, I have never left the town. I am always with the gunmen. Can you give the names of some of the people killed in your presence?
Baari kana and Abbari na Ba Bulama.
Are you the one who killed them?
No, I only held the gun.
Who killed Wawu?
I only held the gun.
Who killed him?
Baba Goni Bandam.
Where is Baba Goni Bandam now?
He has been killed.
What about Juju, who killed him?
No, I don’t know who killed him.
Who killed Ba Bulama?
It was Baba Ari Kala who killed him.
Can you show us where you keep your guns?
In the house of Baba Adama and the house of Ari Gidam and in the ceiling of the nearby mosque…in fact, the guns have been taken away from all the houses where they used to be kept. Who is slaughtering people?
Sani Kan Kuliya and Sani Gurgu. These are the only people that I know are slaughtering people.
How many people have they slaughtered?
They killed many people.
Do you know other people in Sabon Layi
? No, I don’t.
Where is Bamusa?
He has fled.
In the list of your members, how many are still alive?
There is Kulluma, Abbagana, Madu Ali, Yahaya, Alaramma, Ari Kara, Kaka Ali …
Do you have their pictures?
No, I don’t
Where can we locate them?
I don’t know, some are in Bama, some in Lagos.
Did your father not warn you against joining the Boko Haram? My father is dead.
What about your mother?
She warned me but I had no option, if I didn’t jointhem, they would kill me.
How do you slaughter people?
The victims are normally held by at least four people…but I only watch
Now, if two people kill somebody, how much do they get?
N5,000 for the two of them to share. If they are three, they get like N7,000 to share
Who is paying you?
Kulloma
Who is giving Kulloma money?
He gets the money from Black
Who is giving Black?
Yusuf, the brother kakale who was arrested during the fighting in Bama.
And who is giving Yusuf money?
He collects money directly from Shekau
Is he the one who told you that he gets money from Shekau? Yes
You just take orders to kill people?
People are killed when they provoke the Boko Haram
Like what?
I cannot tell you.
Where is Shekau?
He died in Marte
Have you seen his dead body?
Ari Kadai showed me the video of the funeral. He (Ari kadai) participated in the funeral.
He told you that Shekau was shot in Marte?
Yes
When?
When they closed the road and seized GSM services in Kirenowa (Between 14 and 16th May).
Ari Kadai showed you the video?
Yes.
Who is paying Ari Kadai?
He is with Kulloma and co.
So, Yusuf is in charge of Gwange area?
Yes
What about Baba Adama?
He is the Amir of Layin Kasuwan Dare
What about Layin Kwalta?
Baari Bandam
What about Layin Borehole? Abba Gana Layin Gawo?Kulloma is the one
What about Layin Jahannama?
Baba Ali
Did you ever swear with the Qur’an?
No
Why?
Because I was never arrested…it is today that I was arrested. Who are the insurgents that killed people in Baga?
Yusuf and others
What about Kunduga?
I don’t know
What about the attack in Bama?
Alaramma and co.
A suspected member of the Boko Haram sect recently arrested by the Borno Youths Volunteer Vigilante Group (BYVVG) in Maiduguri has admitted that their leader, Abubakar Shekau, was dead. The suspect, simply identified as Baba Goni said Shekau was killed in Marte in May 2013.
His confession, however, contradicts the claim by the Joint Task Force (JTF), which said in a statement released last week that Shekau was wounded in Sambisa Forest on June 30, 2013 and might have died of gunshot injuries at Amitchide village in Cameroon between July 25 and August 3, 2013. Though the JTF said Shekau was injured on June 30, the operation at Kirenowa (Marte) took place in the second week of May. Media reports that three days after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on May 14, 2013 and federal troops mobilised to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. military operatives shelled many training camps of insurgents around Marte. Prominent among the camps were the Hausari and Kirenowa campslocated not far from Nigeria’s border with Cameroon in the northern fringes of the state. In an amateur video circulating in Maiduguri, the alleged Boko Haram member, who is in his early 20s, was asked over 100 questions by the vigilantes. His answers to some of the questions were quite revealing. During interrogation, the suspect, who wore a white singlet and surrounded by dozens of vigilantes said he was certain Shekau was dead because one of their commanders had shown himthe video clips of the funeral prayers of Shekau. He said the commander, Ari Kadai, personally participated in Shekau’s burial rites. A top security personnel said the glimpse into Shekau’s death was based on intercepted communication among Boko Haram leaders. “The sect is being tracked with special gadgets and all the discussions between the leaders, including Shekau, are recorded. We have reliably gathered that Shekau was seriously wounded in an encounter with troops and was taken to an unknown location in Cameroon for medical attention and he had no chances of survival. We have also gathered that he died as result of the injuries he suffered in the encounter,” the personnel informed. He admitted that Shekau’s corpse has not been seen by the security forces. Also, his grave has notbeen located. The source added that Shekau sustained fractures last year in the legs from gunshots in a different encounter and was moved from village to village taking medication. “Months after the fractures have healed, he was wounded again in the hand,” he said.
Meanwhile, the News Agency of Nigeria reported two days ago that dozens of suspected Boko Haram militants in Magumeri forest, Borno, had been starving after being stranded for days without food or water. Magumeri forest is about 150 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital. Mallam Momodu Bukar, a suspected militant, toldnewsmen on Saturday in Maiduguri that he fled the camp in the forest on Thursday when it became obvious that his life was not safe. “I thank God that I escaped because I would have been slaughtered by now to provide meal for my colleagues at the camp,’” Bukar said. The suspected militant was captured by a Youth Vigilante Group, popularly known as the civilian JTF at Baga Road motor park, Maiduguri, on Friday. He said the militants had been in the forest since May, after they were dislodged from Marte, Marte Local Government Area, by the JTF. “Our group, consisting of about 300 well-armed combatants, headed for Magumeri on the orders of the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, shortly before the military took over Marte Camp.
Below is a transcript of part of the interview which was conducted in Hausa language reads:
Vigilante: You have been arrested now, where are your colleagues?
Suspects:They have gone to war
Where?
They have gone to the villages
Have you participated in the killing of anyone?
Yes
With whom did you go and kill your targets?
With Bana Kadai and Ari Kadai How did you join the Boko Haram?
I was in front of my shop and they came and called me. They handed me a gun and said I should hold it for them. They threatened that if I did not obey their orders, they will kill me. I was therefore compelled to take the gun. We went to the main road and killed one Tajo. They showed me a loop and directed that I should escape. We went somewhere and they gave me money. How much did they give you? N1, 500. They then collected the gun and I went home. Later, soldiers came but I escaped. What happened after you escaped? I went to my shop the next day but the guys cameand called me again…I went and told my mother and she warned me not to join the insurgents. In order to convince her, I swore that I will not join the Boko Haram movement. However, one of the guys warned me that I must join them or else I would be killed. We therefore went for training.
What kind of training…shooting training? No, just exercise, I was watching them.
Did you ever flee from Maiduguri when people were being killed?
No, I have never left the town. I am always with the gunmen. Can you give the names of some of the people killed in your presence?
Baari kana and Abbari na Ba Bulama.
Are you the one who killed them?
No, I only held the gun.
Who killed Wawu?
I only held the gun.
Who killed him?
Baba Goni Bandam.
Where is Baba Goni Bandam now?
He has been killed.
What about Juju, who killed him?
No, I don’t know who killed him.
Who killed Ba Bulama?
It was Baba Ari Kala who killed him.
Can you show us where you keep your guns?
In the house of Baba Adama and the house of Ari Gidam and in the ceiling of the nearby mosque…in fact, the guns have been taken away from all the houses where they used to be kept. Who is slaughtering people?
Sani Kan Kuliya and Sani Gurgu. These are the only people that I know are slaughtering people.
How many people have they slaughtered?
They killed many people.
Do you know other people in Sabon Layi
? No, I don’t.
Where is Bamusa?
He has fled.
In the list of your members, how many are still alive?
There is Kulluma, Abbagana, Madu Ali, Yahaya, Alaramma, Ari Kara, Kaka Ali …
Do you have their pictures?
No, I don’t
Where can we locate them?
I don’t know, some are in Bama, some in Lagos.
Did your father not warn you against joining the Boko Haram? My father is dead.
What about your mother?
She warned me but I had no option, if I didn’t jointhem, they would kill me.
How do you slaughter people?
The victims are normally held by at least four people…but I only watch
Now, if two people kill somebody, how much do they get?
N5,000 for the two of them to share. If they are three, they get like N7,000 to share
Who is paying you?
Kulloma
Who is giving Kulloma money?
He gets the money from Black
Who is giving Black?
Yusuf, the brother kakale who was arrested during the fighting in Bama.
And who is giving Yusuf money?
He collects money directly from Shekau
Is he the one who told you that he gets money from Shekau? Yes
You just take orders to kill people?
People are killed when they provoke the Boko Haram
Like what?
I cannot tell you.
Where is Shekau?
He died in Marte
Have you seen his dead body?
Ari Kadai showed me the video of the funeral. He (Ari kadai) participated in the funeral.
He told you that Shekau was shot in Marte?
Yes
When?
When they closed the road and seized GSM services in Kirenowa (Between 14 and 16th May).
Ari Kadai showed you the video?
Yes.
Who is paying Ari Kadai?
He is with Kulloma and co.
So, Yusuf is in charge of Gwange area?
Yes
What about Baba Adama?
He is the Amir of Layin Kasuwan Dare
What about Layin Kwalta?
Baari Bandam
What about Layin Borehole? Abba Gana Layin Gawo?Kulloma is the one
What about Layin Jahannama?
Baba Ali
Did you ever swear with the Qur’an?
No
Why?
Because I was never arrested…it is today that I was arrested. Who are the insurgents that killed people in Baga?
Yusuf and others
What about Kunduga?
I don’t know
What about the attack in Bama?
Alaramma and co.
25 August, 2013
Lagos,Igbos, and the Reality
 |
| The deported Ibos |
24 August, 2013
Obadare's burial cost
Obadare’s burial gulped N96m, reveals first son Pastor Paul Obadare. 
He declared that the casket in which the corpse was buried cost N5 million while N61 million was spent on the construction a mausoleum,where the late seer was interred. A whopping N30 million was also spent on entertainment.Pray,to what end is this declaration. Should we clap or weep?The late prophet would have loved his people to spend this huge amount on feeding the hungry and needy.I know he used to feed people free of charge at his numerous religious gatherings. A little humility would not hurt the prophet's scion i believe.
Anyway, food for thought.
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