A member of the Boko Haram, Auwal Ismaeela, has confessed
to leading the kidnap of 276 schoolgirls from the Government Secondary School
in Chibok, Borno State on April 15, 2014.
The ‘commander’
confessed to the act in an interview with PRNigeria, a news agency.
More than 100 of the girls are still being held by the
insurgents after many of them were released in talks with the Federal
Government.
Ismaeela, who has surrendered to the military, also told
the news agency that he led other major operations and said he regretted his
actions.
The PRNigeria report said: “Ahead of the Islamic festival
of Eid-Kabir coming up by the weekend, a top Boko Haram commander who played a
major role in the abduction of Chibok girls and killing of youths in Madagali
has surrendered and confessed to several acts of bloodletting on innocent
people and destruction of properties across the length and breadth of the
North-eastern part of the country.
“In an interview with PRNigeria at a military facility
for the repentant and surrendered Boko Haram members in the Northeast, the
ex-terrorist leader said he regretted the atrocities he was forced to commit
against humanity.
“The commander, Auwal Ismaeela, is currently cooperating
with the Nigerian military with useful information on locations and hideouts of
other top commanders of the deadly sect. He regretted his actions which,
according to him, run counter to several Islamic injunctions.
“Mr. Ismaeela encouraged other top commanders of the sect
to surrender to the military.
“Myself and Abu Hafsat, a Boko Haram commander, led other
squads to abduct the Chibok girls. We led the operations to invade Gwoza, Bama,
Limankara mobile barracks, Bita, Bosso, Madagali, Chibok, Pulka, Firgi, and
Mubi.
“In Madagali, which is my home town, myself, Adam Vitiri,
Abu Adam and Habu Kudama, some high-ranking Boko Haram commanders, led an
operation in 2014 where we killed some students and youths at the Central
Secondary School in Sabon Garin Madagali.
“In one of the operations, I abducted my wife named
Maryam who had two kids for me in Sambisa Forest. It is unfortunate that I was
brainwashed and misled not only on some abductions but in the killings of my
own people that were innocent. I wholeheartedly regret my actions.
“During a battle in Konduga where myself and other Boko
Haram commanders led the operations, I lost my right leg and was almost got
burnt. Even at that, I did not stop fighting for the course. Sheikh Shekau
ordered that I should be given a tricycle which I continued to use for various
operations before I eventually surrendered.”
He was reported to have given several reasons for his
decision to voluntarily surrender to the troops after realising the misleading
sermons, barbaric indoctrination of the sect leaders and atrocities being
committed in some of the Boko Haram camps.
Ismaeela said: “I willingly surrendered to the military
because I was tired of the senseless killing and fight. I realised that our
people had resorted to stealing and all sort of atrocities contrary to the
teaching and practice of Islam.
“Women were being raped, sometimes publicly. Children
died from malnutrition and diseases as the living condition became harsher. As
there was no food in the camp, people died every day because of hunger.
“I will continue to cooperate with the security agencies
in providing useful information on our mode of operations and to disclose
top-secret hideouts of our commanders.”
More than 100 Boko Haram fighters and some ‘commanders’
had in the recent past surrendered to the military, knowing full well that their
actions had become inimical to the overall interest and well-being of the
nation and the surrounding countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
Tags
Society