From: Muttaka Turaki Gujungu <turakigm@yahoo.com>
Date: 12 July 2011 08:32
Subject: [dandalin-siyasa] Thousands flee Maiduguri - Boko Haram threatens Unimaid - Varsity shuts down - JTF explains mission
To: "dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com" <dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: "Raayiriga@yahoogroups.com" <Raayiriga@yahoogroups.com>
Thousands flee Maiduguri - Boko Haram threatens Unimaid - Varsity shuts down - JTF explains mission
Written by Hamza Idris & Yahaya Ibrahim, Maiduguri
Tuesday, 12 July 2011 05:05
People were leaving the Borno State capitalin droves yesterday following weekend's scorched-earth policy launched by the Nigeria Army to uproot the Boko Haram insurgency that has crippled the city with targeted assassinations and near-indiscriminate bomb attacks.
When our reporters visited various motor parks in Maiduguri yesterday, hundreds of people were seen trying to board vehicles to leave the town, a situation compoundedby the shortage of commercial vehicles plying the Maiduguri route. Among the fleeing people were immigrants from neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon who said they wanted to go back to their countries because of the prevailing situation.
Also yesterday, authorities of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) directedall its students to go home following the indefinite suspension of academic activities on the campus as a result of whatthe authorities described as "the security situation" in Borno State. Students were expected to commence their first semester examinations on the 15th of August, but the students have been directed to vacate the campus latest by 12noon today (Tuesday).
A statement signed by Malam Ahmed Mohammed, Unimaid's Chief Information Officer said the decision to close the university was reached after a meeting of the Committee of Provosts, Deans and Directors, on behalf of the University Senate. "The meeting took place today (yesterday) and was chaired by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Mala and it was resolved that the institution should be closed until security situation improves," Ahmed said.
Daily Trust reports in the last three days, speculations were rife in the university community that members of the Jama'atu Ahlis-Sunnati Lidda'awati Wal Jihad, popularly called Boko Haram, had sent a letter to Unimaid's Muslim students directing them to vacate the campus because of an imminent attack on its strategic buildings.
A student of the university said, "The letter was also pasted on popular buildings like the El-Kanemi Hall. It directed Muslims to vacate the university because the Senate building (popularly known as Abuja), the exams and records building and other vital departments will be bombed."
Rumours also spread on the campus alleging that a female student was recently caught with an explosive at the gates of the university, but a credible source debunked the claim.
When contacted on phone yesterday, Unimaid's spokesman said "authorities have made it clear that learning and scholarship will be more rewarding when students and teachers are free. There is restriction of movement in Maiduguri and most of our students are staying off campus…as soon as the situation improves, normal academic activities would resume."
However, spokesman of the Yusufiyya Movement Abu Zaid told Daily Trust yesterday that the group did not send any "warning letter" to the university, adding that there was no plan to attack Unimaid's campus. He said, "Let me make it categorically clear that we are not targeting the University of Maiduguri. Our aim is to establish Sharia system under an Islamic government and then sanitize the whole system, including education." He also said, "The letter must be the handiwork of some people but it is definitely not from us."
One of the letters dated 10th July, 2011 which was written in English and pasted atthe walls of the university, had no address or the name of the signatory. The only thing written on top of the letter was "Boko Haram, Central Boden Maiduguri." Our correspondent reports this was anomalous because almost Boko Haram's correspondences are written in Hausa and Arabic.
Responding to the closure of the university, spokesman of the JTF Colonel Victor Ebhaleme said it was "abrupt and unnecessary". According to him, the university authority was heating the politybecause there are no verifiable reasons to think the institution was a target.
On their part, students of the university said they received the announcement with mixed feelings. President of the students union government (SUG) Musa Terrang said he hopes the action taken will be in the best interest of the students. Fatima Sa'idu,a business administration student said "I am personally happy with the action taken by the university because we have been living under fear. In the last forty days, I have not been concentrating because whenever I heard a blast, it takes me long to recover."
Our correspondents who visited Borno Express Terminus, Kano Motor Park and Tashar Joni saw hundreds of men, women and children struggling to catch any available vehicle so as to leave the town. Most of them are artisans, housewives, farmers, hawkers, petty traders, okada riders as well as students and teachers of Islamic schools (Tsangaya). They said they had to leave Maiduguri "for fear of the unknown".
Musa Dan Kamisho, one of the agents at Borno Express who was seen helping the fleeing people to secure vehicles, said mostof the Maiduguri residents were moving towards Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Zaria, Zamfara and Sokoto States.
Though transport fares were not increased at the state-owned transport company, there was noticeable shortage of vehicles as people were seen waiting. "I would remain until the next bus comes because I don't know what will happen if I go back to our house in the town," Hajara Sama'ila, a mother of four said.
She said her husband brought her to Maiduguri from Misau in Bauchi State. "Unfortunately we didn't see him in the last one week and there is no way we can continue to live here without him. I pray Almighty Allah will restore peace here so that we can come back," she said.
Most of the people interviewed said they were living in suburbs like London Ciki, Gwozari, Platari, Zannari, Koleri, and Gonar Adon -Kolo in the state capital. "I saw morethan thirty articulated vehicles fully loaded with people, animals and luggage leaving Maiduguri today," Musa Maina, who said hewas heading towards Sokoto, said. "I and my family will remain at the park until we get a vehicle," he said.
According to him, "We are really having a complex situation here, the people are under siege. I want to plead with all those that have conscience to talk. The problem in Maiduguri is beyond the comprehension of man but that does not mean that the state should be treated as a pariah state."
Some of the fleeing people said the mass exodus was because of the dimension the security situation has taken in recent days. It would be recalled that following a bomb blast at Kaleri London Ciki, many people were reportedly killed and houses burnt, allegedly by members of the Joint Task Force.
But commander of the JTF Major General Jack Nwaogbo while responding to the allegations yesterday said that his men were not responsible for the mass exodus. He said, "Even before the military came here, people were leaving. The fact is that soldiers are not animals who will be killingpeople indiscriminately."
He said the soldiers, who were in Maiduguri to restore peace and order were not targeting civilians. "Security is a collective responsibility because the military cannot do it alone. We need the cooperation of everybody to succeed," he said.
Daily Trust also learnt yesterday that most of the people fleeing from Maiduguri were intercepted along the Borno/Yobe border, where soldiers and policemen had set up che3ck points to screen the fleeing people.
Ibrahim Farinloye, the spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the agency was inundated withseveral phone calls from the people that were "intercepted".
"Yes, we heard of the development and at our own level we have mobilized our men to the place with water and few other basicthings," he said.
As at the time of filing this report last night, our reporters could not reach the commander of the JTF. He did not respond to a phone call. There was also no official statement from the Borno State government.
Muttaka Turaki Gujungu
+234-803-714-0278
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