The Nigerian military has despite the outcry and protests by the people of Anambra State moved some detained Boko Haram members to the state.
An online news portal News Express, reports that heavily armed soldiers Sunday night escorted at least 47 dreaded Boko Haram convicts to Anambra State and moved them straight to Ekwuobia Prison, a report from the area said.
The action was taken despite the outcry that greeted the plan, including the strong opposition of Governor Willie Obiano and protests by Anambra traders, who shut their markets over the issue on Saturday.
Ekwulobia is not a maximum security prison and there are strong fears that the presence of the terrorists might attract attacks from the Islamist terrorists who have made parts of Nigeria’s Muslim-dominated North-East virtually ungovernable since 2009.
This Day had earlier reported that the first batch of over 50 Boko Haram Prisoners of War (PoW)were lifted out of Maiduguri Airport to an unknown location on June 21, 2015, while the second batch of over 50 were also transferred on the June 24 by the C-130 military transport plane.
It also cited the source as claiming that the captured terrorists were usually taken to the Kainji Air Force Base where they might be taken for trial or handed over to the appropriate authorities.
The source said, “A C130 aircraft came and lifted over 50 Boko Haram captured fighter to Abuja or where we don’t know probably to show President Muhammadu Buhari their efforts.
“We don’t know the reason why that was done. We don’t know whether our big men (military authorities) want to show the president how serious we have been in the fight against the Boko Haram boys. To me this was a waste of aviation fuel and other logistics. In fact, we don’t know.
“These Boko Haram boys were all captured from the bush (Sambisa forest). They did not have a hold anywhere any longer but were just running in the bush with or without riffles because they did not have anything to eat or drink again. They were so tired and battle-weary that it was easy to capture them alive. And normally, the Kainji Air Force Base, Maiduguri, is where these kind of terrorists were kept. So for now we don’t know why we are hearing from some airmen that the C130 was heading to Abuja.”
The source further disclosed that “a second batch went four days after but where they are carrying them to was still what we are to ascertain…
Because initially, the Kainji Air Force base underground is where suspected Boko Haram insurgents used to be kept whenever they were captured from Maiduguri.”
