Following the ceasefire deal the Federal
Government entered into with Boko Haram, the violent fundamentalist
sect has split into two. While one faction wants peace, the other
doesn’t.
It was gathered on Sunday that the
Federal Government might have entered into the ceasefire with the
faction interested in the cessation of hostilities in the North-East.
A reliable source in government told The PUNCH
in Abuja that the leaders of the pro-peace faction of the sect , were
the ones who took part in the negotiations with representatives of the
Chadian, Cameroonian and Federal Government in Ndjamena, Chad last week.
Federal Government and Boko Haram
representatives are expected to fine tune the details of the ceasefire
at another meeting in Ndjamena on Tuesday.
Our source said he believed that the
attacks on Shafa in Borno State and Sina, Adamawa State on Friday, could
have been carried out by the faction not be interested in ending the
violence.
He said “The Boko Haram faction that
carried out the attack is the one that wants the insurgency to continue.
It is made up of hardcore elements who believe their goal of imposing
Sharia on the whole country has not
been achieved and for them, the
violence must continue until they win the war or perish in their quest.”
There had been reports of disagreements
among the top members of the sect following the clamour by some of its
commanders for an end to the insurgency.
A yet to be verified report had said
that unknown sect members died a few weeks ago in a shoot-out between
the pro-peace and the pro-Jihad factions.
The military is however keeping its side of the peace deal by suspending all hostilities against the insurgents, The PUNCH learnt.
This, according to a top military
source, was a direct outcome of a directive issued by the Chief of
Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.
Badeh had on Friday ordered the suspension of all on-going aerial and ground offensives against the sect.
Our source, who pleaded not to be named
because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said the military
did not consider the latest attacks as a violation of the ceasefire.
He explained that it was very likely
that the operatives of the terrorist cells who carried out the attacks
were not aware of the peace deal.
The source said, “One cannot say the
peace deal has been violated; it is the nature of most terrorist
organisations to act that way, and it should be expected because they
have several layers of operation.
“They have such a long chain that it
takes time for them to communicate with the top unlike the military
where you are very quick communication channels.
“Another thing is that each of the cells
operates independent of the other. So those who carried out the attacks
in the villages in might not even be aware of the deal.”
He however explained that security
forces would not allow the other faction to exploit the peace deal to
violate the security and safety of the people.
It was learnt that while the security
forces would not be on the offensive, sustained efforts would be made to
prevent crimes from being committed against the people.
The PUNCH gathered from another
source that the military had ensured the suspension of aerial and land
offensive in compliance with the CDS’ directive to give peace a chance.
He said, “We will not be watching any
violation of the security and safety of our people, we will not be on
the offensive but we won’t allow crimes to be committed.
“The air operation is suspended for the
duration of the ceasefire; we will not be on the offensive; we really
need to comply with the peace agreement at least to give peace a
chance.”
Investigations confirmed that soldiers have remained in their areas of deployment in the North-East.
Another security source warned that soldiers would be left with no option than to act if attacked.
He said while the troops fighting the
terrorists learnt of the ceasefire from the media, they were awaiting
briefing from their commanders.
He said, “This is ceasefire does not say
pull back soldiers; so soldiers have not been pulled back. It is
logical, if soldiers are attacked, they would fight back; they won’t sit
and watch but soldiers have not gone for any operation since the
ceasefire.”
Efforts to speak with the Director
Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade,on the latest developments
did not succeed as calls to his mobile telephone line did not connect.
But other sources in government said
that the government was still expressing cautious optimism in its
dealings with the sect.
This, it was learnt, was the reason
behind its decision to refrain from making a categorical statement on
the ceasefire since the news broke on Friday.
A top official, who pleaded anonymity,
said the government has so far decided to keep a dignified silence to
“see how the matter plays out during the week.
This, according to him, was the reason
why the government was not surprised about the attacks after the
ceasefire agreement became a public knowledge.
He said, “The government does not want
to jump into the fray. It is true that discussions are ongoing but the
government is watching the situation critically.
“The thinking is that once the process scales through, the government will make a public pronouncement.
“Hopefully, once the Tuesday meeting is successful, the government will talk. For now, we are watching events.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben
Abati, did not yield result of the time of filing this report.
Sect captures another Borno town, beheads six
On Sunday, members of the sect captured another Borno community, Abadam, after laying siege to it.
They also beheaded six people along the Biu – Garkida Road in the state.
It was gathered from security sources
that the insurgents, numbering 100, invaded Abadam on Friday night and
took it over on Sunday morning.
They said the heavily armed terrorists arrived in the town in a convoy of about 50 Toyota Hilux vehicles and motorcycles.
They however did not give a casualty
figure but a resident told journalists in Maiduguri on the telephone
that he saw six corpses, including that of his friend, while fleeing the
town.
He said, “Boko Haram gunmen entered
Abadam on Friday night and shot at any resident in sight for almost
two days until the early hours of Sunday when many of us started to flee
to our farmlands, bushes and border areas of Bosso in Niger Republic.
“I escaped by crossing River Kumadugu to
Diffa and from there, I boarded a bus to Damasak before arriving in
Maiduguri today (Sunday).
“Among the people killed was my friend.
My parents and other relations I believe are still in the bush and I do
not know their state as I speak to you .”
The resident added that there was no security presence in the town throughout the period of the attack.
Another resident also told
journalists that the sect members, as in other places they had
captured, hoisted their black and white flag in three strategic
locations in the community.
He lamented the possibility of the town, being declared an Islamic Caliphate.
Some communities in the state under the control of the sect are Dikwa, Gwoza, Marte, Damboa, Banki, Bama, Wulgo, Kirenowa.
Our correspondent in Borno State also
gathered that the insurgents beheaded six people on the same road
where the Emir of Gwoza, Idrissa Timta, was killed a few months ago.
The Executive Director of Stefanos
Foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo, said on Sunday that the terrorists left the
bodies of the slaughtered victims lying on the road for a long time.
He said the son to one of the victims
was injured by the insurgents when he attempted to remove his father’s
body from the scene.
Lipdo said, “Information says in spite
government ceasefire agreement with the insurgents, six innocent
civilians were held hands bound and slauterered on the Biu Garkida Road
of Borno State on Friday.”
The BringBackOurGirls group, has however
asked the Federal Government to continue to secure lives and properties
of Nigerians in the areas under Boko Haram attacks.
It also urged the government to maintain a delicate balance in its negotiation with the sect.
The spokesman of the group, Rotimi
Olawale, said the government should have asked for the release some of
the abducted Chibok schoolgirls as a proof that the negotiation was
being done with the real Boko Haram leadership.
Olawale said, “For us in the
BringBackOurGirls, the government needs to maintain a delicate balance
in its negotiation with Boko Haram because the recent statement credited
to principal secretary to the President says the negotiation is still
going on.
“I think they should continue to negotiate with Boko Haram on that platform and secure the release of all those abducted.
“The initial question would be, is the
government negotiating with the right group? I don’t know, government
needs to take necessary caution.
“For me, the first thing would have been
for the group to release some of the girls, so that we can be assured
that they are the right group.”
Senator cautions FG
The lawmaker representing Borno
Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Ahmed Zannah, has advised
the Federal Government to be cautious in implementing any ceasefire
with Boko Haram.
Zannah, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri on Sunday, said the government must exercise high level of wisdom and discretion in dealing with the issue.
He said, “I do not think it is true,
because Boko Haram insurgents are still attacking communities in Borno.
The insurgents attacked villages in both northern and southern Borno on
Saturday.”
Zannah said if the ceasefire was real , the insurgents would not have attacked the villages.
When contacted, the Borno State Government declined comments on the issue.
However, a media associate of Governor
Kashim Shettima, Isa Gusau, told journalists on Sunday that the
governor had no comment on the issue.
He said, “Governor Kashim Shettima has
no comment on the issue for now. Shettima, whose state has been at the
centre of Boko Haram attacks since 2009, says he has no comment for now
over the reports, but he will speak at the appropriate time.”
Source: The Punch
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