Mrs. Hamsatu Allamin, founder of Maiduguri, Borno State based Allamin Foundation for Peace, has told SaharaReporters that members of Boko Haram are ready to drop their weapons, but government actors who are benefitting from the insurgency are deliberately prolonging the battle against terrorism.
Hamsatu, who has been actively involved in efforts to end insurgency in Boko Haram ravaged Northeastern Nigeria also affirmed that contrary to claims by the military, violence in North East states is increasing daily.
According to her, people making money off activities of Boko Haram, herdsmen and similar killer groups in the country are government actors who do not want an end to the insurgency.
“Different government stakeholders have different reasons to sustain this violence. There are certain interest groups who are perpetrating this violence while their sponsors are benefitting financially.
“The illiterate hapless and hopeless boys were used to perpetrate this violence so that some other people benefit from it. Our common people and politician know this but nobody is willing to open his mouth and talk who these people are.
“Violence in the Northeast is escalating by the day even though authorities and state actors would tell you they have won the war, decimated Boko Haram. But, we, the people did not see that on the ground,” she said.
On why security operatives are finding it difficult to identify members of the, Allamin explained that it was because most members of Boko Haram live in the communities and hide their guns after every operation.
She added that the people in the community know them but are afraid to disclose their identity to the government.
Allamin also disclosed that security agencies deployed to the North East are engaging in excessive extra-judicial killings which are also fueling terrorism in that part of the country.
“When the government came up with the military intervention, instead of stemming the tide of the violence, it aided the recruitment by Boko Haram because many youths joined the insurgency to take the revenge on the excesses of soldiers being meted out on them. Hundreds of thousands of youths were arrested in Maiduguri and they have disappeared forever,” she noted.
Allamin also said there are many people (criminals, hired assassins, political assassins, and armed robbers) perpetrating heinous crimes under the guise of Boko Haram.
She also wondered why the government is yet to investigate individuals mentioned to be the sponsors of the terrorist group.
“In the course of discussion over the years, people have been mentioning names of individuals and groups who are sponsoring Boko Haram but till today, nobody has been investigated nor arrested for us to know the truth,” she stated.
She however called on every citizen to unite in the fight insurgency in the country.
She warned that if nothing is done to end it, terrorists would move to every part of the country to commit atrocious acts.