Zajeri; Borno Governor Makes Hisotoric Visit to a suburb once under partial occupation of Boko Haram

Governor Shettima at the Zajeri Water Project Sites

Governor of Borno state in the volatile northeast Nigeria, Mr Kashim Shettima, had Tuesday made a historic visit to Zajeri, a suburb of Maiduguri, the birthplace of the Boko Haram ideology, where some 10 months back was a hell-hole of Boko Haram activity. 

Zajeri, though, situated in the heart of Borno state capital, the entire area, as well as Umarari, Bulabulingaranaram, Kulagumna etc, was about a year ago, a no-go area even to the almighty Nigerian army personnel and the police. 

There used to be a jocular saying amongst the beleaguered residents of Maiduguri that “if you are craving for the gallows, don't waste time searching, just stroll down to Zajeri”. 

It was so dangerous a suburb that even residents whose family homes are domiciled there, could not afford not boycotting it for months. 

“About ten to 11 months ago, you dare not drive your car or even move any how within this area”, said Bashir Idi, a local trader and resident of Zajeri. 

“We were somehow forced to submit to the powers of the Boko Haram here. We dare not question there actions, whether we liked them or not. You would see them moving with their AK  47 as if they are the authority. Some will even come outside their homes and be cleaning their rifles. They would, from time to time, demand us to make monetary contributions, or donate our cars, motorcycles and even forced our young ones to join them - I can tell you many of my friends and neighbours whose kids have become circumstantial Boko Haram, and no one has heard about them till date”. 

Reporting to the security was useless because they go after those who did. And they don't miss their targets. 

Idi said the Boko Haram had not only forced people to join them, they also harass and even rape women in the locality. 

“I can not forget that sad night or horror when I was hearing the voice of an old woman, about 56 years old and her daughter groaning and pleading as some men men were raping her. She is still my next-door neighbour. On that night they were attacking people from house to house, saying some of the residents of the neighbourhood had leaked information about them to the soldiers. 

Shettima drives through once dangerous neighbourhood of Zajeri where Boko
Haram were once Landlords

“While the woman was pleading that they should not defy her 19 years old daughter, one of the men shouted at her to shut up and then said ‘who told you that you are immune from being raped’?. That was how they forced themselves on both the mother who is a widow and her daughter. I was still surprised till date on how I escaped being killed that night, because they were entering houses one after the other. 

“Before they got to the woman, they were first in the house of my neighbour whose house is on the left hand side. I heard him screaming in pain and begging for mercy until he finally breathed his last. I quickly called my parents using my phone and asked them to pray for me and also forgive me what ever offence I had inadvertently committed towards them, because I felt it was my last moment to do so. After doing that, I sat down and continued to praise the name of God; surprisingly, they didn't enter my house; it was then I started hearing their voices in the widow’s compound and I heard how they raped them both. I still waited for my death. But most surprisingly, nothing happened till day break when we had to come out to behold the horror of killings they carried out. About 28 persons were either slaughtered or shot dead. Many women were raped, and many vehicles were stolen, some houses were burnt as well”.  

That was Zajeri, some ten months ago. 

But with the emergence of the volunteer youth vigilante, known as civilian Joint Task Force (or Civilian-JTF), more than 300 confirmed members of Boko Haram were arrested in Zajeri, while many others took to their heel and fled their homes. 

“It was because of the efforts of these youths and some of us that also volunteered in, that we are now enjoying moments of relative peace here in Zajeri”, said Idi. 

Governor Shettima’s visit to Zajeri on Tuesday was to inspect an ongoing water project he approved for the neighbourhood and also to have a feel of the area 

Other than poverty, illiteracy and hunger, Mr Shettima had often blamed social exclusivity as major factor that assisted Boko Haram to have a recruitment bonanza in the youth groups. 

Mammoth Crowd hailing the Governor in Excitement 

Before now, areas like Zajeri, Umarari, Bulabulingaranaram, Bolori etc lacked basic social amenities like good roads, electricity, potable drinking water, healthcare and healthcare facility. 

The governor had therefore approved that modern boreholes be drilled in most parts of the neighbourhoods to ease the people’s trouble searching for water, and also give them some sense of being cared about. 

Mr Shettima’s visit to Jajeri, though amidst tight security concerns, greeted by a thunderous welcome by residents especially the younger ones who never expected to see him at the time he visited. The younger  ones and even children went wild and almost out of control as they chant some slogans of praise for the governor describe him as “the hero and emancipator” of their neighbourhood. 

The inspection of the water project was very brief, so was the meeting with the community leaders, because the crowd was uncontrollable. The governor was excited seeing how life had picked in the area. 

“Sir the Borehole drilling process is almost 70 percent completed”, the state Commissioner for Water, Mr Mai Sheriff, told the governor almost yelling, as the yelling crowd rent the air with different chants. 

Back in his office, governor Shettima said his focus is to combat the Boko Haram mentality through poverty reduction programmes, provision of social amenities, building roads and making schooling as affordable as possible. 

“Beneath the nihilism of the Boko Haram’s low-level insurgency, lies a deep-rooted problem of poverty, illiteracy, hunger and social exclusivity. And the sooner we begin to do something to correct that failures in leadership the better for us. I am not saying doing these will  end Boko Haram tomorrow; but it will at least reduce the pool from which the insurgence are fetching their conscript. Even Islam for which they claim to be doing all these heinous acts, does not sanction killing of fellow humans -  be it Muslim, Christians or free thinkers. But today the Boko Haram kills everyone, and the Muslims are even the highest number of their victims; yet they call this Islam? No. certainly not Islam. This is madness”. 

For now Maiduguri still records relative peace, despite recent pockets of arrests of members of Boko Haram by security operatives, while trying to ferry in arms into the city. EchoesINN observed mounting fears as insurgents brings their attacks closer to the city - the latest one that occurred days after soldiers were attacked in Damboa happened just about 30km away from the city whose only one major entry routes, only one is considered to be relatively safe.