USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: {'Yan Arewa} Fw: [talkhard] Re: What we saw in Boko Haram’s camps (BH versus LRA)

Salihu

I have it on good authority that for the few days that the so called "Boko Haram" kidnapped an elder statesman recently, not one of the kidnappers brought out a mat for even a simple muslim prayer, which as we all know is supposed to occur five times a day.

That should tell you something about the range of groups that are operating using the "Boko Haram" name.

What kind of muslims would go for many days on end without praying?

NAO

--- On Wed, 6/12/13, salihumustafa@gmail.com<salihumustafa@gmail.com> wrote:

From: salihumustafa@gmail.com<salihumustafa@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [talkhard] What we saw in Boko Haram's camps
To: talkhard@yahoogroups.com, "Iboro Otongaran" <iborootongaran@gmail.com>
Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 5:28 AM

Folks
You could answer that if you believe the 'Lord's Resistant Army' rebel group in Uganda is fighting for Christianity as it says.

Mlm WnSent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.From: Iboro Otongaran <iborootongaran@gmail.com>
Sender: talkhard@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 01:51:22 -0700To: talkhard<talkhard@yahoogroups.com>ReplyTo: talkhard@yahoogroups.com,Iboro Otongaran <iborootongaran@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [talkhard] What we saw in Boko Haram's camps

 

Omeje,
Are you sure BH conduct is against the tenets if islam?
On 12 Jun 2013 09:07, "isaac umunna" <isumunna@yahoo.com> wrote:

 

What we saw in Boko Haram's camps
By Chidi Omeje, www.newsexpressngr.com, on 12/06/2013

Driving through the dusty road that led to
Sambisa forest where the infamous Boko Haram terrorist group pitched
some of their camps was one hell of a bumpy ride into a thickset of arid
forests that characterize the savannah region.

Bumpy, jarring and dangerous as the bush paths were, the tour of the
sacked camps provided anyone with the trained eye of a reporter, a great
deal of insight on the true colour and character of the so-called
Islamic Jihadists.

The Sambisa forest, which they turned into a recruiting ground and
operational base, is a vast expanse of nature, which was designated
'Games Reserve' by government. The intention was to keep, protect and
preserve our priced species of wild animals and other elements of nature
in their natural habitat. As it has turned out, the Games Reserve now
seemed to have been reserved for a band of misguided blood-thirsty
fiends who slip in and out of the belly of the forest to wreak havoc in
the northern part of Nigeria.

Without doubt, Boko Haram's violent campaign in Nigeria since its
emergence has carved out a bloody trajectory, etching its gory sense of
agitation in our wounded hearts and leaving the rest of humanity
outraged. What manner of shocking violence has the Boko Haram group not
visited on Nigerians since their violent campaigns? From bombing
innocent worshippers in the sanctuary of their churches and mosques to
beheading of defenceless citizens, kidnapping women and children and
detonating Improvised Explosive Devices(IEDs) in workplaces; name it,
they have carried it out in Nigeria. Their campaign of violence has so
far claimed over 3,000 innocent lives yet they are baying for more blood
of fellow Nigerians!

Known for their defiant posture and grim determination to hold on to
actualize their nihilist agenda, the terrorist group stepped up its
intransigence by actually sacking institutions of government in a number
of communities in Borno State. The so-called Jihadists, who claim to be
fighting on behalf of Islam, took over communities and forcibly
conscripted young men into their fighting force and made women their sex
slaves! They violated Nigeria's sovereignty, burnt her flag and hoisted
theirs, strutting around those hapless communities like an
all-conquering force. That was before their nemesis arrived.

On proclamation of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa
states by the President and Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan,
the Special Forces of the Nigerian military moved in and dislodged the
devils from their camps; the troops are currently 'sweeping the forest
clean'.

As our escort vehicles meandered through the forest path to reach the
sacked camps, the gory sight and eerie feeling that now characterize
the desecrated grove was inescapable. The first thing that assaulted our
sensibilities was the sight of charred vehicles, refrigerators, sewing
machines, coolers and such other items, which were apparently stolen by
the terrorists. We were told that as the terrorists retreated, they
destroyed any item they could not run with.

Then we saw fresh shallow graves of gang members who were summarily
executed by their kingpins. We stumbled severally on strange stuff,
which bespoke the true colour and character of our so-called Jihadists.
In almost all the camps we visited, we saw countless number of syringes,
hand gloves and test tubes obviously for administering narcotic drugs;
also scattered in their camps were used and unused condoms! In fact one
of my colleagues couldn't help asking no one in particular, "…so these
devils are even afraid of venereal disease?"

From the accounts of their victims that were rescued by troops, the
insurgents repeatedly raped women they abducted from various
communities. According to one of the rescued children, "the terrorists
are always injecting themselves with something after which they will be
behaving abnormally as if they are in a trance." It is certainly not
surprising to learn that the insurgents engage in substance abuse to put
them in the right state to perpetrate the atrocious crimes they carry
out against innocent Nigerians. Indeed, what could be deadlier than the
combination of drug intoxication and evil indoctrination?

It was also gathered that whilst the kingpins of the evil association
live a life of luxury in the camps, their foot soldiers endure
subservient conditions with instant death awaiting any dissenting voice
or suspected mole among the zombie-like subordinates.

Tucked away, therefore, from the prying eyes of frightened locals and
outraged country, the Sambisa forest and other camps hitherto provided
this deranged group a sanctuary where they met their various kinds of
weird fantasies, all in the name of fighting for the Islamisation of
Nigeria. The question is, are these moral degenerates and blood-thirsty
fiends actually fighting on behalf of Islam? The answer is certainly
'NO' because Islam abhors all that the terrorist group indulges in or
stands for. Will they win this war they are waging against Nigeria?
Again, the answer is resounding 'NO'.

•Omeje, a freelance journalist, was among the group of journalists taken on a tour of Borno State by the Nigeria Military.