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 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.”
Via.osundefender
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