INIKPI

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As soon as the Kosofes got back to Ibadan, the party commenced full swing but the couple remained mostly indoors while their children and parents entertained the guests. They only came out from time to time to acknowledge the cheers from friends and well wishers.

Dr. Kosofe shed both tears of joy and sadness - joy for their being alive and sadness at his total blindness but he was hopeful he may regain the use of his eyes when they got back to Australia and he sought better medical assistance there. He was equally saddened by the death of Segun - the driver that took them on the ill-fated journey.

Sadly though, on getting to Australia, Dr. Kosofe was told he would never regain the use of his eyes again. He wept uncontrollably and promised never to return to Nigeria again.

Mrs. Kosofe was put on bed rest and clinically examined for any trace of any sexually transmitted disease. There was none fortunately. She was also made to go through several sessions with a psychologist to help her recover fully from the trauma.

Three months later, the couple started getting invitations to deliver lectures at seminars on the danger of allowing terrorists to operate in any environment. They were handsomely rewarded in cash after every seminar while the Australian government began to set up modalities to aid Abuja in the fight against the insurgents. Dr. Kosofe's former employer - the University of Australia, paid him his gratuity in full even though he had not completed the required number of years to qualify him for it.

It was at this point President Abela agreed to label the Boko Haram group a terrorist organization. He had been skeptical over taking that decision as he felt it would lead to Nigerians being harassed in foreign airports whenever they were outside the country.

******

Life in Northern Nigeria before the advent of the Boko Haram insurgency could not be compared to life in the Southern part in anyway. The majority of the population was not educated in the Western way but in the Islamic way and this led to the majority there living in abject poverty.

They were predominantly cattle rearers and therefore, nomadic in nature. The cattle rearers, who were usually hired hands by the rich Alhajis, move the cows from place to place in search of pasture sometimes going as far as other states in the South. Occasionally, their quest to get pasture at any cost for their cattle saw them encroaching on innocent people's farms indiscriminately and this led to unnecessary bloodletting on several occasions.

When the insurgency began, however, life gradually took on a hellish form.

On several occasions, the invading terrorists sacked entire villages killing and maiming anyone in sight, taking their cattle and foodstuff by force as well as raiding banks and collecting all the money in their vaults.

Communities were not only sacked in the insurgents' quest to get supplies and “propagate” Islam alone. Any community that is reported to harbour an informant who gives the Police or military authorities any information that eventually leads to the arrest of even one member of the sect, is attacked with the inhabitants killed, maimed and women and girls r***d and abducted at will while the few who were lucky to escape, left with only the clothes on their bodies. After wandering about aimlessly, they were forced to report to refugee camps aptly called Internally Displaced Individuals’ (IDI) Camp.

The few who could afford it, relocated to other countries like Ghana, Cameroun, Togo etc and started life afresh while the majority who could not, found their way to the Internally Displaced Individuals' camps located in the capital cities of states where the terrorists operated and in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Soon, half of entire state budgets started going towards rehabilitating the internally displaced individuals, yet they lived in sub-human conditions. Initially, they were getting three square meals but as their number swelled, it reduced to two times and then once. Contractors usually short-changed the victims hiding away as much as sixty percent of what should ordinarily go to them. Meals of rice and chicken began to be replaced by a packet of indomie noodles with a boiled egg for each of them daily.

To make matters worse, their increasing number started putting a strain on the available facilities like toilets, bathrooms and sleeping quarters. The result included cholera outbreak in some of the centres. The resulting deaths, especially of children, left mothers heartbroken.

Beds which used to be made of foams and spread on the bare floor in hostels made up of several halls, were soon replaced with raffia-woven mats and, after a while, victims were told to sleep on their wrappers.

******

One day, Malam Sunny Shekarau - an extremely fat contractor - had come to supply his usually compromised food items to the Abuja Internally Displaced Individuals' Camp located around Wuse when he ran into a new arrival to the camp. It was not a new thing to him; it is just that this particular refugee was strikingly beautiful.

Summoning courage, after all, he was the big man around, he reasoned, he walked briskly in her direction and called out in a guttural voice.

“Hei! You there!”

“Is it me you mean sir?” the lady demanded politely.

“Yes, you,” replied Malam Shekarau. “I don't remember ever seeing you here,” he made his tone sound authoritative.

“I just arrived here today sir,” she replied. “My community in Yobe was sacked by the insurgents two days ago sir.”

“Oh, I am sorry to hear that,” Shekarau offered even though his eyes were roving all over her body and his trousers were beginning to bulge at the front.

“I am Malam Shekarau. Sunny Shekarau - the food contractor to this camp.”

He waited for the message to sink in before asking, “Have you eaten?”

“A packet of indomie and one boiled egg is not what we would call food sir but we thank Allah we are alive.”

This was the statement Malam Shekarau had been waiting for to throw his bait. It is clear this is not his first time.

“Okay then. Just get in the Toyota Lexus latest model parked over there,” he pointed just ahead making sure his newly acquired Rolex watch was very visible.

“Let us see how we can address your issue insha Allah.”

She smiled shyly but she had got the message.

The duo visited Mr. Biggs that evening and ended the day at a guest house permanently reserved for Shekarau. He learnt the young lady’s name was Halima and that she narrowly escaped from the insurgents leaving her entire family in Damaturu after he had satisfied his lust. She remained there for many weeks afterwards meeting his “needs” while he ensured she got enough food, clothes, perfume and body cream.

******

As the attacks by the Boko Haram increased, so did the dread of Shekau. Soon he became an international figure appearing on cable stations to warn the world of further attacks. He also posted messages on YouTube with the latest one showing the abducted Bama Girls on hijab reciting some verses of the Koran even though the majority of the abducted girls were Christians.

“I captured your girls,” he stated in Hausa laughing mirthlessly. He went on to warn the world to beware of further attacks never ceasing to run down Western education, Christianity, the United Nation and Western countries. It was clear to the world he was a complete mad man who needed to be speedily stopped.

******

The service chiefs, the Inspector General of Police and the Minister of Defence knew the menace of Boko Haram was not going to be easy to deal with. Even though they each kept back a large chunk of the funds they were given to procure arms with which to arm their foot soldiers, for themselves and their cronies, they, never the less ensured the soldiers were forced to confront the insurgents. Using such terminologies like “obey before complain” and outright threats, they made sure the soldiers never retreated from any offensive of the sect. The effect was the high casualty figure the troops suffered. The troops hardly led offensives themselves since they were sure they would be defeated by the insurgents due to the sophisticated weapons they wielded.

Within ten years of operation, the sect had claimed over seventeen Local Government Areas with their flag planted in the headquarters of these places. The choice houses in these places, were forcefully taken over by the invading marauders and the owners either killed or sent fleeing.

It soon became clear that if nothing drastic was done, it was only a matter of time before the insurgents took over the seat of power in the states they were operating, if not the entire country.

As soon as the video Shekau posted on YouTube claiming responsibility for the a*******n of the Bama Girls went virile with international cable stations playing it on an hourly basis, condemnation poured in from all countries of the world. Celebrities in Western nations held concerts in honour of the girls and demanded the government act fast to ensure the girls were released.

President Abela's rating fell to an all time low. His response was to pay a group one of his ministers created to organize peaceful protests in Abuja with full military protection and demand that the Boko Haram insurgents release the girls.

Carrying placards with inscriptions like BOKO HARAM STOP DISTURBING THIS GOVERNMENT, RELEASE THE BAMA GIRLS NOW! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH BOKO HARAM etc, they moved all around Abuja ending at the Aso Rock villa where the President personally met them and promised their grievances will be “expressly addressed”. The government spokesman - Mr. Abayo, ensured newsmen, in their number, were on ground to give the event maximum publicity.

Each of the over one thousand “protesters” went home with fat envelopes containing crisp naira notes later in the night.

******

Chelsea Football Club has more fans in Nigeria than in the United Kingdom just like Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City football clubs. This is the reason millions of people in the country were usually glued to their television sets whenever any of these clubs is playing.

Businessmen have capitalized on this to set up viewing centres where people paid a token to watch live matches of their favourite clubs. These centres also sell drinks like beer, wine and soft drinks served sometimes with peppersoup, nkwobi or dried meat to the viewers. It is not strange to find a man declaring beer for as many as fifty persons if his team won. Fights have also broken out between supporters of rival clubs with many hospitalized after such fights where broken bottles were freely used on one another.

One particular Saturday, Chelsea Football Club played against Manchester United in the English Premier League final. The two teams have been so close on the table that this match would determine the eventual winner of the trophy for the year. Expectedly, people were glued to their television sets while the viewing centres were full to capacity nationwide.

In Jos, the atmosphere at the viewing centre along Akwanga Road was very tense. Fans started arriving an hour before the kick off. Wagers involving varying sums of money were also made.

By kick off time, the hall was full to capacity prompting a few die-hard fans to stand. Over a hundred persons were sitting with around fifty others standing.

Soon the centre referee blew the whistle for the match to start. The noise from the viewing centre could be heard as far as over a mile away especially whenever an attempt was made at goal or a goal was actually scored.

Two men dressed in flowing babariga and clutching two bags soon forced their way into the crowd.

“Get out of the way now!” a fan shouted at one of them as he was blocking his view. “You are not transparent, you know,” he added for emphasis.

The two men kept moving until they got to the centre of the hall.

At this point, John Rooney received a good pass from one of his team mates and looked set to score.

“Goal!” screamed the crowd in anticipation but the ball hit the crossbar and went over it.

“Oh God!” a fan screamed in frustration. Others expressed their disappointment or joy in different ways depending on the side of the teams they belonged.

“Wetin be dis now?” A fan was expressing his anger at one of the two men each clutching a bag. His view had been obstructed and he did not see the near-goal attempt.

At this point, each of the two men mumbling only what they could hear and understand, detonated the bombs concealed in the bags they were carrying.

The explosion could be heard kilometres away. It left about thirty persons dead including the suicide bombers and about fifty hospitalized for the treatment of varying degrees of injury.

It took only two hours for the President's spokesman to come on air and condemn the “dastardly and cowardly act” promising as usual that “the government is on top of the situation.”

The Senate President, the Plateau State governor and the representatives of the Jos constituency in the Senate and House of Representatives also came on air to condemn the terror act.

******

At the other side, a set of dwarfs welcomed the two suicide bombers who went on the mission to Jos. They simply waited for them to get up from the deep sleep they were in before swooping on them. Some went for their eyes scratching away vigorously and others made for their man hoods.

“Help!Help!” one of them screamed.

“Wayo!” screamed the other.

,

******

One morning, Shekau was in a good mood in Sambisa Forest. His men were making progress on all fronts - the suicide bombers were acting to instruction, his men in prison were being forcefully released, desperate politicians were contacting him and paying promptly for his services and those sent to raid communities were doing so bringing in bags of cash from the banks they ransacked after these raids. Now, there were more than enough young girls, plenty of them virgins, to enjoy life with. ISIS and Al-Qaeda leaders had even sent him commendation messages.

He just finished taking the innocence of a fifteen year old - the third in two days and the experience was heavenly. Occasionally, though, his mind wandered to that day when his wife and three children were captured by the invading Nigerian soldiers. This took him by surprise as, prior to that attack where he narrowly escaped, only the Nigeria Police was directed to fight his group.

Indeed, the attack was the first the Army will be leading against the sect. They had received information detailing his hideout and had struck early one morning but Shekau was spirited away by some of his men and he has remained within Sambisa Forest since then.

Shekau strongly believed he would rescue his family one day but consoled himself that if he did not reunite with them here in this world, he would in the next, in the bliss of Al Janna. All attempts, therefore, to use them as a bargaining tool to get Shekau to surrender himself, failed woefully.

Life in Sambisa was as comfortable as could be. The installed solar panels and other accessories ensured they had constant electricity in the over fifty camps within the enclave. Indeed, Shekau’s duplex painted green like all the other buildings to make them blend with the trees in the forest in the event of an aerial raid, was fully air-conditioned and tastefully furnished with exquisite furniture from Turkey. Each room also had a television set which was connected to cable stations. Shekau relished seeing himself on television communicating his actions and beliefs to a shocked world.

Major decisions that affected the operation of the sect were taken in his sitting room alongside the key officers in the group.

From time to time, he sipped tea from a teacup reserved only for him. The tea was constantly laced with aphrodisiacs from Asia and from time to time, as the urge arose, he was injected with hard drugs like h****n or cocaine. His meals also contained Indian hemp. His favourite was tuwo shinkafa with miyan kukah garnished with dried fish. All these ensured his libido was always high.

On a daily basis, the most beautiful of a set of virgins from abducted girls, was selected, allowed to take a special bath with perfumed water and then sent in to him. He has lost count of the virgins he had taken but every experience never stopped exciting him. He looked forward to every experience with relish.

The girls hardly resisted as death awaited any who did. A newly deflowered girl never stayed in his duplex beyond two weeks. As soon as he became tired of any of them, she was released to the boys. Anything could happen to her at that point - she could be given to another senior officer who signified interest or given to the foot soldiers, in which case, as many as five or six men could force themselves on her daily.

To ensure his words were always law, anyone sent out on a suicide mission or any other mission who disobeyed, was always traced by a special squad in the sect and killed, usually along with

the relation(s) or friend(s) harbouring such when they came.

Sambisa Forest - the official headquarter of the sect, extended from Nigeria to Chad, Cameroun and Niger Republic. The sect had over fifty camps in this forest and each camp had thousands of sect members. The forest contained several rivers, mountains and millions of trees. These provided a ready hideout for the members of the sect who spent years preparing the place right from when Malam Yusuf Zakzaky was alive before swinging into full action.

From these camps, they over ran communities planting their flags there and left armed sect members there to ensure Nigerian soldiers did not return to reclaim these areas.

Under Shekau's grip, local government after local government fell to the sect and Maiduguri became the spiritual head quarter of the sect. The Sarki or king of any captured territory was either killed or sent out with his family members as well as his chiefs .The few people whose lives they spared, mostly women, were ruled under Sharia law. It was not strange to see sect members flogging a man and woman for committing offences like quarreling while more serious ones like stealing led to the amputation of the right hand of the thief from the wrist after a trial in a hastily set up Sharia court where a Qadi served as the judge. Proceedings were carried out in the Hausa language and judgments delivered were religiously executed. There was absolutely no room for appeal.

The sect had departments for almost everything - one ensured enough food was supplied into Sambisa and all conquered territories from time to time, another ensured the sect members never lacked aphrodisiacs and hard drugs while yet another ensured the wives of deceased sect members were well taken care of usually by marrying them off to other sect members who had not completed the maximum number stipulated by Islam. Their children were sent to the Koranic schools to become al majiris and a few of them grew up to join the sect.

******

The fifteen sect leaders gathered in Shekau’s sitting room smiled broadly when the news of the Bama Girls was relayed on one of the leading cable stations in the world, for the umpteenth time. The video Shekau had posted on You Tube where he admitted being behind the act, excited laughter from the gathering. Shouts of “Allah Akbar!” and “Lafia Zaki!” rented the air.

Each of the men had his head covered in a turban and sipped non-alcoholic wine in each of their glasses from time to time.

As soon as the broadcast was over, more shouts rented the air from each of the men. It was clear they were pleased with the level of progress the group had made under Shekau. Shekau smiled broadly feigning modesty.

By the time the meeting was over, every arrangement for the next attack had being put in place. Each of the men retired to his private room with a young maiden or two to keep him company for the night.

The girls were kept together in groups of twenty. Each group occupied a large room where they had mats spread on the floor for them to sit, lie or pray on. They were fed twice a day - in the morning and evening with staple food like rice, yam or tuwo. Each got a piece of meat and, once in a while especially on Fridays, each got a plate of fura da nono for dessert.

On arriving Sambisa Forest after their a*******n, each of the girls usually cried and cried till she could no longer cry and eventually resigned herself to fate.

Whenever any of them got pregnant, a special herbal concoction was hurriedly prepared and given to her to drink which forcefully ejected the fetus. In cases where complications arose, such a person was taken and dropped outside the camp and left there to die after which a shallow grave, just deep enough to accommodate her corpse, was dug and the corpse was dropped in it.

Jumai Hassan - one of the Bama Girls, was one of such victims. After becoming pregnant, the concoction had been given to her to drink but after ejecting the fetus, the bleeding refused to stop so she was left outside one of the camps to die.

******

The 2007 elections were only months away. President Victor Abela and the chieftains of his party knew he would lose the elections except something extra ordinary happened. Public Opinion Polls conducted by public media establishments as well as one conducted by his special adviser on new media - Mr. Benoni Amakiri, had revealed that much.

The issue of the abducted Bama Girls was one of the major reasons adduced for his poor rating, the polls had revealed. The major opposition political parties never failed to mention the issue whenever they went campaigning and the major newspapers were paid to publish the number of days the girls had been missing in a corner of their front pages. It was not out of place to see such captions as IT IS 100 DAYS SINCE BAMA GIRLS WERE CAPTURED on the front pages of these newspapers. Editorials and feature articles were sponsored in these newspapers by the opposition leaders explaining how clueless President Abela was in dealing with the issue of security among other major challenges facing the country.

Out of sheer desperation to salvage what was left of his administration’s image, President Abela created a surveillance team made up of very bold undercover agents to penetrate the camp of the militants in order to come up with credible information that would lead to their defeat. Considering the risk these men took, a comprehensive insurance package was prepared for them that would take care of their family members in the event they did not return alive. These packages covered the education of their children and wards up to the university level as well as for the upkeep of their wives and extended relations.

It was one of these men - Lt. Musa Bayero, pretending to be Shehu Mustapha among the militants that rescued Jumai Hassan from the outskirt of one of the camps in Sambisa, where she had been left to die.

Pretending to be carrying her to one of the sect’s senior officers, he had started by supporting her to stand on her feet, and after a few metres, got one of the operatives to carry her in a car into town. The particular driver he had chosen was also an undercover agent like himself .The risk to their lives was enormous as any act of betrayal or double- dealing by any member of the sect, once detected, did not only attract the instant killing of the offender. His family members were also meticulously traced and eliminated to serve as a deterrent to others.

Jumai Hassan was driven to a high class hospital in Maiduguri where the doctors and nurses were told to spare no expenses to ensure she survived. The entire sum demanded was paid by one of the men using a MasterCard he had tucked away inside his belt via POS.

******

The news of the escape of one of the Bama Girls made headline news worldwide as soon as it filtered out. Her parents were soon contacted and she was flown outside the country along with them, for proper medical care in the United States of America by one of the governors in a state controlled by the opposition party in the country. He ensured all the national and international media mentioned this bit of information.

As soon as Jumai was strong enough, though doctors said she would need a miracle to ever conceive again since her womb was damaged beyond repairs, she started to feature in television programmes where she explained the sect’s modus operandi leaving her viewers shocked.

Her story led to the resolve of several world leaders to assist the Nigerian government in dealing with the menace Boko Haram had become.

Washington, London, Ottawa, Tel Aviv, Brussels and even Warsaw were not left out. When the Saudi Arabian monarch came on an international cable television to denounce the group and explain to the world that the members were not Muslims and were not acting in the name or interest of Islam, Jumai and her parents were overjoyed.

She was given a scholarship to study in an American university after undergoing rigorous physical and psychological treatment to help her fully recover from the traumatic experience she had passed through by the pastor of a very large ministry. She chose to study Medicine.