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Encounters with BokoHaram.
My first Ecounter with BH guys was a solo-dramatic one. I was a contract staff with WHO with no benefits except the direct pay. High Risk job. Borno State has 30 LGAs, which are divided into three.
Totally inaccessible 3
Fully Accessible 3
Partially 24
My first Ecounter with BH guys was a solo-dramatic one. I was a contract staff with WHO with no benefits except the direct pay. High Risk job. Borno State has 30 LGAs, which are divided into three.
Totally inaccessible 3
Fully Accessible 3
Partially 24
Examples of partially inaccessible is Chibok, Damasak, Monguno, Gubio Konduga, (an LGA which has part of Maiduguri in it), Mafa, Dikwa etc.
Marte, Mobbar, Abadam are 100% inaccessible to civillians like me. There are under BH boys ruling. I traveled to 20 out if 30 LGAs.
Marte, Mobbar, Abadam are 100% inaccessible to civillians like me. There are under BH boys ruling. I traveled to 20 out if 30 LGAs.
Whatever gist I give is a first hand that I witnessed and heard directly from the horses mouth. Most trips were by road in a convoy, and few by Helicopter. The image here is Gwoza. Partially accessible only through helicopter. By road is a death trap nobody will want to risk.
Flight was booked for me and my partner but was canceled due to rise in insurgency over the weekend. The org that run the flight schedule wouldn't fly cos of high risks. I volunteered to go by road. No bus that day cos, they only move in convoy, so I booked for the next day.
Takeoff point was Muna Garage, in Jere. Our bus refused to go because they heard there was attack earlier that day. It was just 6am then. By 10am my partner and I secured seats on the top of a truck of WCP with other desperate passagers like us, laden with IDPs food.
WFP not WCP. WFP means World Food Programme. They supply NGO grains for IDPs.
Destination was Ngala, a border town with Cameroon. 140km from Maiduguri. We had a great journey with many stops btw Maiduguri and Dikwa and got there around 2pm. We met other convoy from yesterday.
Destination was Ngala, a border town with Cameroon. 140km from Maiduguri. We had a great journey with many stops btw Maiduguri and Dikwa and got there around 2pm. We met other convoy from yesterday.
Apparently there was attack the previous day and they couldn't move. At my rough count we are about a thousand on the road. We couldn't move, we had to sleep at Dikwa as there no single vehicle coming from Ngala. The soldiers in our convoy and CJTF refused to continue the trip.
My partner secured mats for us from a friend who works with Mercy Corps, who we met in the town. She also gave us food. We had to buy water. Day broke, we couldn't move until around 11am. That was when a troop of soldiers came in and some Civillian Joint task force crews.( CJTF)
This is me on top truck with my partner resting on my back.
Eventually, we left Dikwa before noon and we approach an abandoned community named Logumale. It has a small dam fed with canals from Lake Chad to irrigate rice/wheat fields. One of the Largest in the country. It supplies the Maiduguri Mill. Abandoned tractors and tools everywhere
The BH guys were hidding behind the dam, ready to attack us. Their purpose was to hijack the trucks of food. About 40 of them. They opened fire on the soldier's vehicles in front of us. For more than 2 hours we were stuck there. Gun exchange went on. We jumped and ran into bush.
Some of the trailers were hijacked. I think about 5 and those guys escaped with them. There were casualties on both sides.
This is how everywhere looks like. I took this vedio after the attack, we about entering Ngala. The land is open and free for you to run as far as you can.
This is how everywhere looks like. I took this vedio after the attack, we about entering Ngala. The land is open and free for you to run as far as you can.
The gist is - someone sold us out. One of the soldiers I later became friend with told me. BH is a serious business. If you don't belong to a right clique, there are high chances you die. Almost 80%. Millions of Naira exchange hands weekly. NGOs are involved in the shit.
How do BH get food supplies? Two ways I verified myself.
1. Directly from NGOs such as ICRC/NRC. I was at their office severally to apply as a First Aider and WASH expert. I was rejected based on Nepotism. Spent some days at their training.
1. Directly from NGOs such as ICRC/NRC. I was at their office severally to apply as a First Aider and WASH expert. I was rejected based on Nepotism. Spent some days at their training.
I queried one of their trainer about them supporting BH. He claimed Neutrality which of the 7 principles of ICRC. So food and supplies were given to BH on negotiations of no attacks on their staff/workers.
2. In communities where BH is holding capitives. Human shield were used.
2. In communities where BH is holding capitives. Human shield were used.
Father or mother are held in capitives while the other members of the family are sent to get food from Security posts where NGOs are also stationed. Failure to return after agreed time. Their families are killed. I personally met some of the escapees at Monguno.
Other ways is to Hijack food supplies. Food also come in from Cameroon and Niger Republic.
I didn't return that trip by road. I came by flight. That is my partner beside me facing the helicopter. Every where was heavily guarded to prevent hijacking.
I didn't return that trip by road. I came by flight. That is my partner beside me facing the helicopter. Every where was heavily guarded to prevent hijacking.
Follow me, I follow back immediately.
I will share my Konduga/Gwoza experiences soon.
I will share my Konduga/Gwoza experiences soon.
