Security
Boko Haram: How Borno Elders Were Slaughtered in One Night – Senator Ndume
Young Men Lined Up and Shot
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The senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has narrated how Boko Haram insurgents killed 75 members of his community in Gwoza local government in one night.
Mr Ndume made this disclosure Wednesday in an emotion-laden presentation during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by Senate Committee on Special Duties and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) in Maiduguri.
The former Senate leader, who is also a member of the committee, informed the gathering that the challenges faced by the people of Borno State were being underreported.
“If the Senate Committee would take time during their stay to go round some of the camps and even the nearby Konduga local government, we would all better appreciate what the people are facing,” he said.
“Even as a serving senator, I still cannot go to Gwoza my home town because it is not safe,” he said.
Senator Ali Ndume
“Our security operatives are trying their bests, and we have to give it to them. But the situation is overwhelming. People are dying every day, either from attacks or by hunger. We have lost many lives here.
“There was a time in my home town Gwoza, that about 75 elders most of whom I know personally were dragged by Boko Haram to the town’s abattoir and slaughtered like animals. Only two persons survived because their bodies were covered with other people’s’ blood and the assailants thought they were dead.
“In the same Gwoza, Boko Haram had in a single day lined up young men and summarily shot them dead. These were just some stand out cases.”
Mr Ndume also lamented the issue of hunger in the state stressing that the situation would have been worse had there not been non-governmental organisations in Borno.
“We don’t know where we would have been or what would have happened to us in Borno State, had there not been the NGOs,” he said
“People die every day here, and I can assure you that even today or this evening, someone may have died of hunger. I am not talking about children – I mean adults.”
He said these and many other cases of insecurity pushed him to realise the need for the Northeast region to have a Development Commission.
“NEDC was my idea, and I pushed for its formation, not for anything else but to see how our people could be helped out of this ugly situation. And so far, we are impressed with the kind of work they are dong.
“But sadly, the amount of money at the disposal of the commission is not adequate to solve the humanitarian challenges facing Borno state alone,” he said.
The Senate Committee on Special Duties led by Yusuf Abubakar, was in Borno State to review the performance of the NEDC and the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA)
The committee had upon arrival in Maiduguri paid a courtesy call on the governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum; where they explained their mission before proceeding to the Shehu of Borno’s palace.
At the stakeholders briefing, officials of the Nigeria military, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NEMA and that of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency took time to brief the committee on the situation in the state.
The NEDC Managing Director, Mohammed Alkali-Goni, commended the Senate committee for taking time off their busy schedule to be in Borno State. He said their visit would enable the National Assembly to appreciate the challenges in the region.
The committee is expected to visit IDP camps and some of the locations where the NEDC has projects.
The development was made known at a workshop focused on gender mainstreaming in efforts to curb the spread of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria and the West African sub-region, held on Tuesday in Abuja.
The workshop was organized by the NCCSALW. Ribadu, represented by the Director of External Affairs from the Office of the National Security Adviser, Amb. Ibrahim Babani, described the president’s assent as a crucial step in the government’s fight against the illegal proliferation of arms.
He noted that this legislative backing would solidify the centre’s authority and facilitate more coordinated efforts to tackle the issue.
Ribadu also emphasized the importance of gender mainstreaming in addressing the arms control problem, citing key international frameworks such as the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
This resolution underscored the need to protect women from the impacts of conflict and ensure their active participation in peacebuilding and security initiatives.
AIG (rtd) Nuhu Ribadu
National Security Adviser
He also referenced the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, which highlights regional cooperation in stopping the spread of weapons that disproportionately affect women and children in conflict zones.
“The importance of gender mainstreaming in preventing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons cannot be overstated,” Ribadu said. “It strengthens our strategies and ensures our approach to security is inclusive and sustainable.”
Speaking at the workshop, the National Coordinator of NCCSALW, retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Johnson Kokumo, detailed the centre’s recent efforts in combating illegal arms proliferation.
Kokumo mentioned that the centre recently retrieved a substantial cache of illegal arms from the Nigeria Customs Service and arrested 10 suspects involved in illicit importation. These suspects are currently being prosecuted for offenses that include the illegal importation of 544 firearms and 112,500 rounds of ammunition, in violation of Nigerian law.
Kokumo further revealed that the centre has retrieved 3,383 decommissioned and illicit small arms, along with 26,749 rounds of ammunition, from various government agencies. He also announced plans for an Arms Destruction Exercise later this quarter to ensure that recovered arms are permanently removed from circulation.
Highlighting the global implications of small arms proliferation, Kokumo said, “The control of small arms and light weapons is not only a national concern but also a matter of international importance.” He added that addressing this issue through a gender-sensitive approach is both a moral imperative and a strategic move, considering the grave impact of armed conflict on women and children.
“This workshop is a significant step in ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated into national and regional strategies for small arms and light weapons control,” he stated.
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