20 ‘How we fed for one year under Boko Haram’
Recently, some Boko Haram abductees from the islands of the Lake Chad were rescued by troops of“Operation Lafiya Dole.” Most of them have now settled in IDP camps and host communities in Maiduguri, Borno State. One of abductees, 50-year-old Muhammadu Siri
Daily Trust: What is your occupation around the Lake Chad?
I am both a fisherman and a farmer. I am from Kore in Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
DT: Do you actually practice fishing or you are only a retail trader in the business?
I was a practicing fisherman. I would catch the fish and sell to retailers, although, on rare occasions, I would transport some quantity to markets elsewhere.
DT: How was the strength of your capital before the insurgents captured you and dispossessed you of everything?
I had about N800, 000 cash, apart from a herd of livestock and an enviable collection of fishing canoes and other instruments, the likes of which not every fisherman had. Those were the good old days.
DT: So, how was the business of fishing in those good old days?
I must confess it was a prosperous enterprise. I was radiating with that prosperity and everyone I encountered for whatever dealings would see that. I had every cause to thank God.
DT: Can you remember where you were and what happened before you were captured by the insurgents?
I can only summarize that to you. On the day of the capture by the insurgents, I and some of my fellow fishermen were in the bush within the broad area of the lake, repairing our fishing gourds. Suddenly, we heard gun shots and commotion. We got stuck there, perplexed and confused. We could neither get back to our village nor feel comfortable remaining in the bush. We roamed in the bush for thirteen days before the insurgents caught us.
DT: So, how did you survive roaming the bush?
It was horrible. We were not getting anything. We would jubilate whenever we found dry cobs of maize. We would jubilantly rush and pick them, crushing the grains from the cobs. We devised a method doing something in the semblance of boiling. We would collect whatever quantity of the maize and crushed the cobs with our hands in a polythene bag. The moisture within the polythene bag would rise to the point of sufficiently wetting and, thus, softening the grains for us to easily munch. That was how we fed while wandering in the bush before we were captured. To feed the kids who could not even munch the fairly soft grains, we would first munch them to a certain point then feed them. That was how we survived before they captured us.
DT: You were scattered in the bush. How did they capture so many people?
Let me tell you that that figure is just the number publicized. We were actually more than 700. I cannot tell you with certainty the population dispersed and captured by the insurgents. The villages sacked within the bowl of the lake are many. They include Doron Jukun, Basheri, Namaro, and many other villages. The insurgents would raid the vicinity of every On the day of the capture by the insurgents, I and some of my fellow fishermen were in the bush within the broad area of the lake, repairing our fishing gourds. Suddenly, we heard gun shots and commotion. We got stuck there, perplexed and confused. We could neither get back to our village nor feel comfortable remaining in the bush village, capture many. They describe the captives as their ‘slaves’ as they can ‘herd’ them to their chosen location. That was how they collected our huge population at a location. But I believe we were more than 700. DT: How was life in captivity ?
We remained in one location. You would not go a few meters away from the gathering to defecate without one of them, well-armed, escorting you, to ensure no one ever got the slightest chance to abscond. Many of us were not actually subjected to labour. We were only subjected to severe torture. We were doing nothing but receiving many strokes of the cane daily, because we were ‘slaves.’ On some days you would not be fed on others you would be served a small ration of garri for a group of ‘slaves’ to soak in water and eat. The children among you would be fed with bits of heaven of anything. That was how we survived for about a year in captivity. It is my most gory experience. I hate remembering it. DT: Did the insurgents kill some of you?
I did not hear of anyone killed. Someone or some people among us might have been killed without my knowledge. But I don’t think they killed any of us. All I know is that whoever was caught attempting to escape would be arrested, brought before the gathering and given 100 lashes or more. According to the severity of your offense, ranging from any minor offense that could be overlooked in normal, you would receive 50 to 100 lashes. On very rare occasions, 20 to 30 lashes. You would be left to heal on your own. Most of us have scars on our backs.
DT: Can you remember how the troops rescued you?
You know the insurgents stay most times on tree tops. They are experts on keeping sentry on tree tops. Their strategy is that they don’t gather on a location. They are sparse on trees, so that they detect any suspicious move from a safe distance and, thus, easily communicate to each other in a way only them knew to enable them take the most appropriate move to avoid being abruptly assaulted by the troops. On the day of our rescue we heard sporadic exchange of gunfire between them and the troops. It lasted for many hours on that day. Then, suddenly, I think by late afternoon, we saw the soldiers approaching us, which gave us the most gladdening signal that the insurgents might have fled, having observed that they would be overpowered and captured by the soldiers. The soldiers enquired who we were. All of us formed a long queue with our hands raised be searched to ensure there was no weapon on you. That was how the soldiers gathered us and took us to Monguno. From there they brought us to Maiduguri. My entire family has been rescued. DT: Where do you sojourn now?
When were brought enmasse to Maiduguri, we were given the choices of either staying in any of the IDP camps or staying in the host community. For me, I have a brother at Gomari Ward. My entire staying family is staying in his house.
DT: What do you own now in terms of possessions?
I have practically nothing now but my family. The insurgents have dispossessed me of everything.
DT: Do you plan to return to Lake Chad and rebuild your prosperous fishing life?
I would have loved to, but I will not. I even hate coming near Baga Road market here in Maiduguri, let alone go towards Monguno and Lake Chad. I hate seeing anything reminding me of the past one year. I may return there in future, but I am not envisaging that.
DT: How then would you be engaged to earn a living?
I would like to go into carpentry. I have always been a carpenter. I constructed and repaired my fishing canoes myself.