Some of the 58 women and children released by military authorities in Maiduguri and Damaturu.
Some kid suspects released by military
authorities in Maiduguri on Friday said the Boko Haram sect paid them
N5,000 each to burn primary schools and spy on soldiers.
They were among 23 women and 35 children
released to the governors of Borno and Yobe states by the Commander, 21
Armoured Brigade, Maiduguri, Brig-Gen. R.O Bamigboye, on behalf of the
Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sa’ad Ibrahim.
The children, whose ages range between
nine and 15 years, said they were given kegs of petrol by Boko Haram
leaders and sent to burn schools in both states.
Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima,
government officials and journalists listened in bewilderment as the
children narrated how they were used by the extremist sect to burn
schools and spy on soldiers.
One of them said they were taken to the
Yobe State capital, Damaturu, and told to spy on soldiers attached to
the Joint Task Force and report back to the Boko Haram commanders.
He said, “We were taken to Damaturu. We
watched out for the soldiers at their unit and reported back to them. We
were reporting either when soldiers were at ease or enjoying themselves
and when they were off guard and we were paid for doing that.”
Another child suspect said, “I usually
helped Boko Haram to leak information on military activities so that
they could attack them (soldiers). My last job was to travel from
Maiduguri to Gashua to spy on soldiers before I was caught.”
Yet another said, “We usually help Boko
Haram to carry stolen items each time and sometimes help them to give
information about people they want to attack and sometimes even help to
hide their guns after attacks. They pay us N5000 after every operation. I
regret what I did, I want to go home and ask for forgiveness from my
father and mother for what I did; I also want to go to school.”
One of the boys said he was arrested
last year after he was overheard talking about the people who burnt a
school in Maiduguri and failed to inform the military.
“I was arrested because I know those who
burnt the school without telling the soldiers. Some people heard me
discussing about the people who burnt the school and reported me to the
soldiers who arrested me,” he said.
One of the teenagers said they were paid N5,000 and provided with fuel in kegs to set schools ablaze in Maiduguri.
The release of the suspects was done in line with the Federal Government’s amnesty deal.
In Borno State, 20 detainees, comprising
six women and 14 children arrested between 2012 and 2013 were set free
and handed over to Shettima for rehabilitation and reintegration.
The 20 detainees were mostly arrested in Maiduguri, Bama in Borno and Damaturu in Yobe State.
Bamigboye, who supervised the handing over, said he was acting on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sa’ad Ibrahim.
This, he said, was in line with the directive of President Goodluck Jonathan to the army.
He explained that the detainees were arrested in connection with the roles they played in the insurgency.
The six freed women were Hajia Zainab
Mohammed, 40; Hajia Karagama Mohammed, 55; Hajia Zari Mohammed, 40;
Aishatu Mohammed Aji, 62; Hadiza Ahmad, 40; and Yakaka Goni Habib, 16.
The 14 children released were Abba Modu
Aji,10; Mohammed Musa, 12; Ibrahim Mohammed, 15; Umar Bukar, 15;
Mustapha Umaru, 14; Bashir Ali, 12; Musa Grema, 13; Abba Mohammed, 14;
Baba Alhaji, 13; AbdulAziz Umar, 14; Ari Masa’a, 14; Bayi Mustapha, 14;
Mohammed Ibrahim, 14 and Alhaji Goni, 14.
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