Boko Haram commanders acquire the wives of emirs of captured Borno and Yobe towns

Yobe

Boko Haram commanders acquire the wives of emirs of captured Borno and Yobe towns

Saturday, 06 September 2014 17:52

HIGH-ranking members of Boko Haram have acquired the wives of several emirs in Borno and Yobe States after the monarchs fled their palaces in the wake of the terrorist sect's recent onslaught that has seen take over dozens of towns and villages.

Over the last month, Boko Haram has enjoyed immense success on the battlefield, easily overrunning towns like Gwoza, Banki and Bama, the second largest city in Borno State. In neighbouring Yobe State, the sect has also taken over virtually all of the towns and villages in Gulani and Gubja Local Government Areas.

No fewer than seven emirs have abandoned their domains in the two states in the last couple of days, fleeing to Maiduguri and Damaturu, the state capitals for protection. Reports from the captured areas reveal that Boko Haram commanders, have now constituted themselves into the effective authorities in the affected emirs’ domains, mocking the traditional institution by forcing their wives into marriages.

Ahamdu Umar, a key member of the Civilian Joint Task Force vigilante group, said: “They have sacked over seven emirs from their palaces in Borno and Yobe states. Emirs are a symbol of culture and heads of Islam in this part of the country and if the Boko Haram members were truly Muslims, they would have had reverence for the palaces and respect for the Emirs.

"They would not have taken the wives of emirs for their commanders to use. This is sacrilege and Nigerians must understand that this is not a religious problem but a case of some cultists trying to use Islam as a platform to perpetrate evil."

Embarrassed by the development, the government has started a counter-offensive involving the use of jets to bomb Boko Haram locations. Already, the wives and children of soldiers are being relocated from barracks across Maiduguri so that the soldiers can focus on preparations to engage the militants.

Mr Umar added: “Those who are sympathetic to this group among Muslims are doing so either because they do not know the atrocities these bad elements are committing or they are part of those that have been brainwashed by the sect leader when he was alive and therefore, they are also Boko Haram. We wanted to go and die for our people and for the traditional stools in those areas captured by Boko Haram but we were prevented from doing so by security operatives who said the casualties would be too many.”

Last week, Nigeria took delivery of 12 Tornado jets as part of a renewed initiative to recapture territory lost to the insurgents. This is because in the past, Nigerian Army soldiers have been poorly equipped when sent out to fight Boko Haram, giving the terrorists an edge in terms of superior weaponry.

- See more at: http://www.nigerianwatch.com/news/5257-boko-haram-commanders-acquire-the-wives-of-emirs-of-captured-borno-and-yobe-towns#sthash.IxrfN2Hl.p2zZfF2N.dpuf