The fact that Boko Haram, the islamists sect currently terrorizing Nigeria did not start today is no news, as the group has been around since 2004 but did not start operations until 2009, when former president Olusegun Obasanjo was still in office.
The group’s initial leader Yusuf Mohammed was
killed in 2009 when President Yar’Adua was still in power and that was
when the story changed.
According to an interview by 247ureports with
an unnamed man claiming to be a high ranking member of the group,
Obasanjo could have been killed as he was in “shooting range” when he
came for a meeting with Mohammed’s in-law, Babakura Fuggu following the
death of Mohammed.
According to the man, who was said to have
spoken fluent English with an American accent, the outcome of the
meeting resulted in the death of Babukura as he was said to have
demanded for cash, which the sect members frowned upon.
247ureports reports:
Information recently
made available to 247ureports.com through a high ranking contact within
the organizational structure of the terrorist Islamic group, Boko Haram
reveals unnerving revelations regarding the recent attacks on Kano,
Bauchi State – and the aborted attack of September 15,
2011 visit by former President of the federal republic of Nigeria,
General Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo to the home of the in-law of the slain
leader of the Boko Haram, Babakura Fuggu in Borno State.
It was gathered that
the leader of Boko Haram, Imam Abubakar Shekau who is currently hiding
away in Qoundere, Cameroun following the recent and ongoing attacks on
Kano and Bauchi State – had deliberated seriously on the assassination
of the former president of Nigeria, General Obasanjo on September 15,
2011 while on a visit to Borno State to the home of the in-law to the
slain leader of Boko Haram [Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf].
According to the Boko
Haram source, former President Obasanjo had made first contact with
Yusuf’s in-lawal, Babakura Fuggu [eldest son of Yusuf's in-law] in early
September 2012 concerning opening a channel of dialogue with the
terrorist group. The leadership of the group took it uneasy with the
choice of Babakura – [since the line of leadership did not automatically
follow family lineage as in traditional settings. As a 'religious'
group they did not see Babakura as the rightful person to take over from
Yusuf.] – For this reason, the leadership of the group ‘silently’
objected to the meeting between Babakura and Obasanjo.
As Obasanjo concluded
his secret meeting the previous day at the Green House with three other
religious group [Jamatu Nasir Islam, JNI and CAN] in Jos, the capital
of Plateau State on the Wednesday of September 14, 2011, and took off
the following day to Borno State, the terrorist group, according to the
source, marked the former President within their ‘firing range’ from the
moment he landed in Borno State at minutes after 11am till he departed
the State in the late afternoon of the same day. According to the
source, “we were not sure of him.”
“He was going to be a
big catch” said the source who explained that the leadership halted the
operation as Obasanjo went inside the residence of Babakura.
“Obasanjo was good to
us. We had no problem with Obasanjo. We had him. We could have taken
him out”, as he recalled that the sharia movement took off during the
period when Obasanjo was president. “The problem started during the late
President Yar’Adua regime. Goodluck only inherited the problem. We have
no problem with Goodluck. But his Ijaw people around him are deceiving
him.”
Interestingly, the
Boko Haram source who spoke in fluent English with a slight American
accent explained the decision to ‘finish’ Babakura Fuggu came due to
what transpired between Obasanjo and Babakura. “We learnt he asked for
money”. Babakura requested on behalf of Boko Haram monies to enable the
group defray litigation costs and other minor financial requests which
the leadership of Boko Haram considered menial and demeaning. The wife,
Yakolo, was said to have received money from the former president to the
tuned of N500,000. Babakura Fuggu was gundown on September 17, 2012 as
he existed his home by his younger brother in the company of other young
men dressed in reddish-orange babarigas each armed with AK47s – just
barely forty eight [48] hours following the visit of former President
Obasanjo.
Meanwhile,
information available to 247ureports.com reveals the reason Kano and
Bauchi State were attacked a few days ago as having to do with failed
promises by the State governors of the two states. The entire northern
governors, according to the Boko Haram source, have ongoing
relationships with the group. “Most of them pay us monthly to leave
their states alone.”
In Kano State, the
former state governor, Malam Shekarau reached an agreement with the
terrorist group in late 2004 for an initial monthly disbursement of
N5million which was later bumped up to N10million in 2009. The
agreement, according to the source, included provision of institutional
infrastructural support through the Hisbah [Islam police] project which
received yearly budgetary allocation of N1.01billion. The gubernatorial
election of April 2011 which introduced Rabiu Kwankwaso as the new
governor changed the agreement. The Kwankwaso administration was quick
to dismantle the Hisbah set up – and the said agreement to disburse
N10million monthly. The governor proceeded to make arrests of known Boko
Haram members. Boko Haram leadership who had found comfort in Kano did
not appreciate the Kwankwaso administration’s policy on Boko Haram.
According to the source, “we warned the Governor of the consequences.”
“We concluded on Kano
in December 2011″. The abrupt end to the oil subsidy strike and
protests served an opportunity for the group to strike. The preparatory
work for the attack and the selection of targets had already been
completed. According to the source, an estimated number of casualties
was calculated to net 300 minimum. “The go ahead order” was given on
Wednesday [January 18, 2012] evening before the leader of the group left
the country to Cameroon on the early morning of Thursday, the following
day.
In Bauchi State, the
Governor, Malam Yuguda reached similar agreement with the leadership of
the group. A monthly disbursement of N10million was agreed upon along
with provision of training grounds on the many mountain scattered in
Bauchi State. The governor also promised to give them security against
arrests by the federal government. The agreement was reached in June
2008 but mid 2011, the governor stopped the disbursement of the
N1omillion regularly. Boko Haram were not happy but remained loyal to
the agreement because of the unfettered access to the mountains of
Bauchi as training camps.
However the arrest
and detention of their number 3 man by the State Security Services [SSS]
fractured the relationship between the governor and the terrorist
group. According to the source, the State was attacked to free the
number 3 leader of Boko Haram and to “teach them a lesson”. The detained
leader schooled at the prestigious Lincoln University located in the
State of Connecticut, USA and owns a block industry in Bauchi State near
the home of the former governor of Bauchi State – an area densely
populated by Boko Haram operatives.
According to the
source, “the northern governors are overwhelmed”. They are aware of the
capabilities of the Boko Haram operatives operating in their respective
states. Some of the State government officials visit the terrorist
groups in their training camps to watch the training exercises. “We
train harder than the Nigerian military and they see it” said the source
while ‘lamenting’ that the governor continue to tell the President that
the menace of Boko Haram is under control.
The Boko Haram source
made it emphatic that “we [they] have the weapons and are in control.
We are not asking for Islamic Nigeria. We want our men free.”
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