These are apparently tough times to be a Boko Haram member. With the purported death of their leader, Abubakar Shekau, lack of access to GSM networks and clean water or food, the fighters have reportedly begun to snack on each other as they take refuge in the forests of Borno.
Mallam Momodu Bukar, a confessed militant who escaped the forest and traveled 150 kilometres to Maiduguri, told journalists that he was next in line to be dinner for his colleagues.
Bukar said, “I thank God that I escaped because I would have been slaughtered by now to provide meal for my colleagues at the camp.”
“Our group, consisting of about 300 well armed combatants, headed for Magumeri on the orders of the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, shortly before the military took over Marte Camp.
“We have been wandering in the forest. We have exhausted our food and water supply, and so, everybody became hungry,” Bukar said.
“It all started last Monday when three of the combatants in camp died of acute hunger, and it became obvious that all of us will die if action was not taken.
“The leader of the group, Abu Omar, directed that a non combatant member be slaughtered to provide meal for the rest.
“The meat provided meal for the combatant for just two days and another person was killed in the same manner on Wednesday.
“So, it became certain that I might be the next person since I am also a non combatant member.”
“I left the camp on Thursday evening after agreeing to fetch water from the village.
“After leaving the camp, I started running until I arrived at Magumeri town, so, I slept in the motor park before boarding a vehicle to Maiduguri with the little money on me.” he said.
Bukar was arrested immediately by the youth vigilante group at the motor park.