Controversy trails the infiltration of Boko Haram in South East

B

y Emeka Ibemere

Last week’s arrest of members of Boko Haram in far away Abia State, South East Nigeria, has sparked off controversy regarding the purported arrest of over 400 Boko Haram goons in South-East geo-political zone of the country.

South East is predominately Christian faithful dominated by the Igbo speaking Nigerians.

Speaking in a telephone chat on the alleged arrest and discovery of bomb in South East, allegedly planted by Boko Haram members, the former Lagos State Commissioner of police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, who supported the views expressed by the leader of the Hausa Community in Rivers State, that those arrested were bona fide traders seeking for lawful means of subsistence, then asked if the suspects were found with any incriminating items of evidential value?

 He queried, “Whether the army’s arrest was on mere suspicion because the suspects were from the terror infested north?”

Tsav again asked whether the alleged kingpin said to be arrested with the 485 others was declared wanted and if so by who and through what medium and what was his name?

Speaking further, the ex-police cop queried again. “Could this be a subtle defence for the violation of the fundamental rights of the arrested innocent Northern traders?”

“How did the arrested people pass through police and other military blocks in the North?”

The no-nonsense retired police cop said due to the previous inconsistencies in DHQ’s press statements, one was compelled to take the press statements of the DHQ with a pinch of salt adding that however, Nigeria is in an era of ‘pick and choose’, meaning that citizens of Nigeria must look before they leap.

Writing in reaction from New York, one Uzoh who never wanted to give out his second name again asked.  “So where are the suspects and who gave them the bombs?” he asked, “What next Mr. Commissioner, that these suspects have been arrested on the spot and even confessed to the crime? This one should not be swept under the carpet while Biafran Zionist members for peacefully entering Enugu Radio station were arrested and moved to Abuja too”.

According to Uzoh, MASSOB and OPC must rise up to the occasion by learning to make and plant bombs too. If Boko Haram starts bombing the South we've no place to run to

Also another person simply identified his name as Mr. Jide; said journalists should not wish and disaster in the states under the incitement of religious hate. “No police has come out to reveal the identities of the suspects. And, trust Nigeria policeman, one found loitering around at the time is a suspect. But the dragnet should not be limited to Hausa or Muslims. A group of aggrieved members have bombed a church in Bauchi. A group of young Christians carried out a mock Boko Haram attack at Ikonifin, Osun State recently. When arrested, they were all Christians. They claimed to be 'acting'. I don't know why Imo should be a prime target of the devil-BH. This claim is either fathom or an insider work. We remember the hunters’ episode of 2011. Nigeria, we hail thee”, he submitted.

Joseph Ubiagba, also another commentator on the issue said Muslims all around the world, by their actions and inaction should hold themselves accountable to what becomes of their future even if they plunge the world into war.

Ebele said be it known to Nigerians that the bombings and abduction saga were because the President is not a Muslim. He said. “Let me warn that if nothing drastic is done to curb this insurgency; it would continue come 2015, if Muslim did not clinch power. Of course, why it seemed difficult to contain is because majority of the security forces are northerners. It is better for Nigerians to define themselves now and part ways. Think about what white minority did in South Africa, before Mandela rescued them; that is, what is being done in Nigeria by northerners”. Pastor Celestine Maduabuchukwu Nwosu hope the ongoing investigation yields a fruitful result but asked why the suspects are being hidden from the media?

Martin Enyinna Akanaefu asked the government to adequately prosecute the case.

“Who are the suspects? Are they Ibos or are they Northerners? Where are they presently?”

As if Nigerians have lost faith in the security agencies, the arrest of the Boko Haram members in South East seems doubtful to most of Imo State citizens.  Some who spoke to Daily Newswatch said when Nigeria police arrests even a pickpocket; they parade them to the media but hid the Boko Haram members and they demanded to see the six Boko Haram suspects that tried to bomb church in Imo State.

“Since Boko Haram started, we don't hear of armed robbers anymore, everybody now is Boko Haram. Since kidnapping started, armed robbers disappeared, again because every one of them claimed to be kidnapper. Trust Imo state, their own is different”, a student stated.

Meanwhile, the South East governors have also reacted to the alleged infiltration of Boko Haram in the zone, stating that Boko Haram can’t penetrate their region- South-East.

Speaking through Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House on Monday, the Governors said they were in Abuja to pledge solidarity to the President in this trying period. They expressed their resolve to ensure that the dreaded insurgents, Boko Haram are not allowed to penetrate the region.

Present at the meeting were Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, Theodore Ahmafule Oji also of Abia State and Martin Elechi, the governor of Ebonyi.

Obiano told State House correspondents: “No, they (Boko Haram) can’t get there; I can assure you of that. We will not allow that to happen.

“I can’t tell you in any material details about bombs found or not found. All I can assure you is that we are very alert in the Southeast and we are watching what is going on. I can assure you that Boko Haram cannot come to the Southeast.”

 “The Southeast governors came this morning to assure him that we are with him all through the way and that he can count on us.

“The President is a human being and he is under a lot of pressure and some other people are making the work a lot more difficult for him.

“Instead of supporting him to steer us out of these stormy waters, they are adding kerosene to fire. So we are here to tell him that we are here supporting him and that he should count on us.”

Speaking with confidence on the arrest of the alleged suspected Boko Haram members who invaded South East, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum immediately condemned what it regarded to as an indiscriminate arrest of 486 northerners in Abia State as suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

The group told media that it was sure that all the alleged arrested Boko Haram was northerners who had no link with Boko Haram. The group warned the South-East governors that such action was capable of fuelling enmity between the northerners and southerners.

AYCF, President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, was reported to have told reporters that the group was worried that a continuation of such arrests could lead to the break-up of Nigeria.

 “This gives us a lot of worry. Are these South-East governors or whoever is at the helms of affairs doing this in the interest of this country or to cause more hatred for our people, so that the country will break up? He explained.

“Those who are acting out this script of disintegration are not helping this country, especially at this challenging period. We are not in support of Boko Haram or their bomb attacks. We are saying that innocent citizens should not suffer because some evil-minded people come from their area. I can tell you that those who were arrested in Abia are not Boko Haram members”, he stated further. “We had a case where about 500 people arrested in Lagos. I intervened and on getting to the force headquarters, we discovered that most of them were innocent and they were released.

“We are not saying security agencies should not do their work, but they should not go about arresting hundreds of people just because they are looking for one or two suspects.”

AYC leader claimed that it was wrong to think that it was only northerners who plant bombs in the country. He disclosed that some southerners had been arrested for terrorism.

He condemned the northern governors and other political leaders in the region for keeping quiet while northerners were being victimised.

It would be recalled that prior to the arrest of the dangerous religious sect in the zone, six suspected Boko Haram members were arrested in Owerri, the Imo State capital in the early hours of Sunday June 15, inside the Winners’ Chapel along the Port Harcourt road by the state police command, while planting bombs in the church premises.

 Witness account said the security personnel attached to the church had noticed some strange movements within the church premises and monitored their movements.

It was gathered that the church members and the senior pastor of the church, Moses Oyedele, who were around during the time, alerted the security and the police immediately rushed to the scene with soldiers and other security agents.

Daily Newswatch gathered that about six bombers had already taken over the church premises in order to perpetrate their nefarious activities. On arrival at the scene of the incident, the police immediately cordoned off the church premises in search of the suspects, leading to their arrest. On interrogation, it was discovered that the suspects had planted a bomb at the entrance gate of the church and had taken position round the premises of the church so as to plant more bombs.

However, the police anti-bomb squad detonated the bombs and conducted a thorough check round the premises to ensure that there were no other hidden bombs within the premises.

 Further probe on the suspects, was a confession from the goons that they were suicide bombers who had stormed the state with the intention of bombing five churches in the state.

The action forced the church authorities to relocate the service of that day to the Heroes Square near Imo Concorde Hotel where they conducted their first service which was supposed to begin by 7a.m.

The state Commissioner of Police, Adbulmajid Ali, advised the people of the state to be vigilant now that the Boko Haram members had penetrated the state.

He confirmed that the anti-bomb disposal unit of the state police command had detonated the bombs, adding that investigations to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident had commenced.

The state Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha while addressing journalists condemned the action. He commended the security agencies for their timely intervention.

As people of the state were yet to get relief from the shock of the bomb discovered from a Church 48 hours after, the Nigerian Army 144 battalion in Asa, Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State, allegedly intercepted a convoy of 33 buses conveying 486 suspected insurgents including eight females between Aro -Ngwa and Imo Gate along the Enugu- Port Harcourt expressway.

The suspects were said to have been intercepted around 3am on Sunday, and were coming from different parts of the Northern states to South Eastern States. The age bracket of the alleged criminals was between 16 and 24, claiming to have come for greener pastures in the zone.

 The Headquarters of the 144 Battalion, Asa, where the suspects are being detained confirmed the incident. The Commander of the military base, Lieutenant Colonel Rasheed Omolori, said the suspects were arrested by his men.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Abia State, Dr. Eze Chikamnayo, explained that two buses escaped with their occupants.

Although Lieutenant Colonel Omolori declined comment, he said the incident has been reported to the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

The Commissioner said the sheer size of the movement made it suspicious, adding that none of the suspects was able to identify the location they were heading to and wondered how such a long motorcade could not be intercepted by security personnel until they reached Abia.

Dr. Chikamnayo said that at the moment, the Army and other security agencies in the state were working to unravel the actual mission of the suspects and those behind the movement.

He was of the view that if other security personnel in other parts of the country would do as much as 144 Battalion, Asa, in Abia, insurgency in the country would be a thing of the past.

“I expect every state to work hand-in-hand with their security personnel to check insurgency. Every security problem is local and if we handle it locally it will be nipped in the bud,” he said.

He cited the case of Abia State during the days of kidnapping and how it was taken as an Abia problem and condemned the idea of demonstrating in Abuja over matters that should be handled locally.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) revealed that one of the most wanted terror kingpins was among the 486 Boko Haram suspects arrested in Abia State.

In a statement by Major General Chris Olukolade, Director, Defence Information, the Defence Headquarters said that a terror kingpin on the list of wanted terrorists, whose name was not revealed, was detected during the screening of the suspects arrested in Aba.

It stated that all security agencies and Para-military groups were involved in the screening of the suspects, adding that the exercise would identify, “possible security risk or illegal immigrants”. Olukayode stated that the apprehended wanted terror kingpin has been taken into custody.

The statement, entitled: “Update on the screening of 486 arrested travellers in Abia State:  Wanted terror kingpin nabbed,” reads: “A terror kingpin in the list of wanted terrorists of security forces in Nigeria have been detected in the ongoing screening of the 486 suspects nabbed while travelling in over 33 Hiace Hummer buses at night along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway last Sunday. “So far, other security agencies, including the Para-military, have joined the screening to ascertain the status of the remaining suspects.  Those identified as possible security risk or illegal immigrants are expected to be identified for further action.

“Meanwhile, the identified terror kingpin has been taken into custody.  Further development will be communicated to you in due course.”

Also, the former Amir-ulhajj of Abia State and Deputy Chairman of Aba Muslim Community, Alhaji Musa Iheakaram, has urged the state government and security agencies operating in Abia and the entire South-East to beef up security in their states.

Alhaji Iheakaram, who spoke against the backdrop of last Sunday’s botched bombing and the arrest of 468 Boko Haram suspects, said it was obvious that the insurgents may have made an in-road into the South-East.

“The discovery of the IEDs planted at the headquarters of the Living Faith Church in Owerri by terrorists should be an eye opener because what happened in Owerri on Sunday could happen to any church or mosque in Aba,” he stated.

According to him, rumours do not go for nothing. He advised the state government and security agencies not to dismiss the infiltration of Boko Haram into Aba, but going a step further to beef up security in the city.

 However, Charles Anike, National President, Eastern Union, a social cultural organization, said both incidences weren’t coincidence and that such issue shouldn’t be overlooked and giving a ‘tribal mark’. He pleaded to the North to avoid touching the lion on the tail whether dead or alive, so that Nigeria would continue to live in peace. Anike said the suspected Boko Haram Members’ excuse of invading Abia and Imo States aren’t enough to justify their convoy movement akin to their operational working arrangement in carrying out their devilish acts in Yobe, Adamawa and Borno States. Anike disclosed that Abia and Imo States are not anyway near European and American countries were people go for greener pastures and that the two states doesn’t give job. He wondered while in a convoy and charted vehicles. “How can a whole tribe invade another tribe in search of job in a convoy of 36 buses? It’s questionable”, he stated.