It would be hard to talk about eradicating the menace of
terrorism from our shores without talking about poverty. The type of poverty
which pushes a young lad to burn schools because he was offered the sum of
N5000.
That was the confession of one of the teenagers released by
the JTF on Friday to Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno and Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe.
In all, the JTF pardoned 58 Boko Haram suspects comprising of 23 women and 35
children.
Out of the 58, twenty were released to the Borno governor.
They comprised of six women and fourteen children who were arrested between
2012 and 2013. They are expected to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into the
society.
According to the document of their release: “The children are between the ages of 9 and 15
years. The 20 detainees were mostly arrested in Maiduguri, Bama in Borno and
Damaturu in Yobe State.
“The six freed women include Hajjia Zainab Mohammed (40);
Hajjia Karagama Mohammed (55); Hajjia Zari Mohammed (40); Aishatu Mohammed Aji
(62); Hadiza Ahmad (40) and Yakaka Goni Habib (16).
“The 14 children include Abba Modu Aji (10); Mohammed Musa
(12); Ibrahim Mohammed (15); Umar Bukar (1)5; Mustapha Umaru (14); Bashir Ali
(12); Musa Grema (13); Abba Mohammed (14); Baba Alhaji (13); AbdulAziz Umar
(14); Ari Masa’a (14); Bayi Mustapha (14); Mohammed Ibrahim (14) and Alhaji
Goni (14).”
Most of the women released claimed innocence. One of them,
Aishatu Mohammed Aji (62), said she was arrested because of her son’s
involvement. She said that her son was still at large. However, military
sources said that the woman was regularly keeping guns for her son after he
carried out attacks.
According to a source, “There was drama at the council
chambers venue of the handover when three children revealed that some sect
members recruited them mostly to gather information, especially to bring report
on troop movement and behaviour of soldiers at duty posts.
“We were taken to Damaturu. We watched out for the soldiers
at their units and reported back to them. We were reporting when soldiers were
at ease or enjoying themselves and when they were off guard, and we were paid
for doing that.”
One of the teenagers also revealed that they were paid N5,
000 and provided with fuel in kegs to set schools ablaze in Maiduguri .
He said: “We were given a keg of petrol by our bosses to set
some schools ablaze, which we did within Maiduguri, and we were paid N5, 000.”
One of the children also revealed that he was usually sent
to steal clothes from houses for use by insurgents.
“They, however, said after they were arrested and
interrogated by the men of the JTF, they volunteered information that led to
the arrest or killing in gun battle of their pay masters.
“The three boys also said they were in Almajiri schools.
They, however, said they were willing to be enrolled into formal education to
be combined with Islamic education, with a pledge to be of good behaviour.”
According to reports:
The Commander, 21 Armoured Brigade, Maiduguri, Brig. Gen.
Bamigboye, who did the handing over, said he was acting on behalf of the Chief
of Defence Staff, Admiral Saad Ibrahim, following President Goodluck Jonathan’s
directive to the army.
He explained that the detainees were arrested in connection
with their roles in the insurgency.
The Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the
Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Isa Gusau, confirmed the release of the 58
detainees last night.
Gusau said: “Governor Shettima presented fabrics to the
pardoned detainees to assist them. He noted that with the President’s offer,
they were like every innocent Nigerian so long as they remained of good
behaviour.
He quoted the governor as saying: “We most sincerely thank
Mr. President for his magnanimity for releasing our sisters and children. This
marks a milestone in our quest for peace through a dialogue and to restore
normalcy.
“We will do our part by ensuring that they are integrated
into the larger society after rehabilitation to become better citizens.
“The Federal Government has shown commitment by releasing
these women and children under detention. We would admit the women into our
vocational training centres for rehabilitation.
“As for the children, we are going to hand them over to the
Ministry of Women Affairs and social welfare. We will advertise for their
parents to come and claim them after they might have signed a written
undertaking to inculcate good behaviour and to enroll them in schools.”
Gusau added: “The governor also said for each released child
that is enrolled in school, their parents would get N10, 000 for 30 days of
uninterrupted stay in school
“He said it is a foreign model that he is borrowing as a
campaign to boost education. The governor also urged the women to turn a new
leaf and not walk back to the wrong alley. He commended the security agents for
keeping the detainees hale and hearty.
“He assured that the state government wiould do everything
to rehabilitate them to be better citizens, promising that the women wiould be
trained at the various vocational training centres in the state to acquire
skills, while the children would be sent to schools.”
Written by Dharmmy09
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