Result Of An Asymmetric War: How A Chibok Girl Was Rescued

Result of an Asymmetric war: How a Chibok Girl was rescued
By:
Adewale Daniel Omojowo

 

 
Faced with present economic, social and political challenges, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria led government have always sourced for resources and strategies to fight Boko Haram terrorist. Even though the Islamist sect has grown to become one of the leading and most dangerous terrorist groups in the world, it is still in the best interest of Sub Saharan Head of States to put an end to their incessant violent attacks.
Founded in 2002, Boko Haram’s main aim was to oppose western education, as Boko Haram in Hausa language means “western education is forbidden”. Since 2009, the Kamikaze group have been perpetrating series of attacks in Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon, killing thousands, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, hundreds abducted, including 276 girls kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria. Boko Haram joined so-called Islamic state and now calls itself IS’s “West African Province” (BBC, 2016). However, with the creation of the Joint task force, the sects have been weakened.
Recently, one of the 276 Chibok girls that was abducted, Amina Ali Nkeki, was rescued with a four-month old baby by an army-backed vigilante group yesterday, Tuesday 17 May 2016, in the deadly Sambisa forest close to the border with Chad and Cameroon. The local vigilante group in Maiduguri, north-east Nigeria surfaced in 2013 with local knowledge of the terrain. During the time the jihadists were winning the war and seizing territories in the face of runaway soldiers, it therefore became imperative for more vigilante groups armed with rudimentary weapons to be formed since they mostly share the same culture, history, and religion with the terrorist group.
Nevertheless, the girl was reportedly in company of a suspected member of the Boko Haram Islamist group named Mohammed Hayatu who later on admitted to be Amina’s Husband in a report presented by the Nigerian military. It was a member of the civilian fighter of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), a vigilante group set up to help fight the terrorist group that recognised Amina now 19. For the purpose of investigation the suspected culprit has been arrested and taken to Maiduguri in Borno state, Nigeria along with the protagonist Amina and the baby for intense medical attention. Aboku Gaji, leader of the joint Task Force in Chibok said;
“The moment this girl was discovered by our vigilantes, she was brought to my house. I instantly recognised her, and insisted we should take her to her parents”.
“When we arrived at the house…I asked the mother to come and identify someone. The moment she saw her, she shouted her name: ‘Amina, Amina’ she gave her the biggest hug ever, as if they were going to roll on the ground, we had to stabilise them”.
Today, it is reported that over 218 Chibok girls are still in custody of Boko Haram Islamist sect, with over six girls dead. So far Amina is the only Chibok girls that have been rescued when she was venturing into the Sambisa forest to search for firewood. It more than 600 days now since the Chibok girls were kidnapped and the Nigerian army have done a great deal to weaken the enemy. At beginning of 2015 with the help of some super powers around the world the Nigerian military started reoccupying and seizing territory with the join collaboration of established vigilantes but the great fear of the day is to how the government will contain these vigilantes group as peace returns in north-eastern Nigeria gradually since these vigilantes have tasted power and therefore may be regarded as a potential danger.

Adewale Daniel Omojowo
Together we can make it happen. Say No to violence

Related