Categories: News

Boko Haram Shares N20,000 Per Household To Residents In New Recruitment Drive

Boko Haram terrorists have begun inducing the residents of Geidam, Yobe State, with cash gifts while hoping to get some of them to join its ranks as militants.
The insurgents hoisted their flag and distributed propaganda leaflets, inviting residents to join their group.

Boko Haram terrorists have begun inducing the residents of Geidam, Yobe State, with cash gifts while hoping to get some of them to join its ranks as militants.

The insurgents were said to have shared N20,000 to over 50 households as of Tuesday evening.

The terror group had invaded the local government area on the evening of Friday, April 23, and since held sway over the territory, defying attempts by the Nigerian military to recapture the place.

The insurgents destroyed private and public properties, including telecommunications facilities, but refrained from harming civilians, especially Muslims.

According to HumAngle, they also hoisted their flag and distributed propaganda leaflets, inviting residents to join their group.

“My people are helpless, you can’t imagine that as a full Nigerian citizen you can be at the mercy of Boko Haram for the past 24 hours and nobody cares to do anything about it,” lamented Lawan Shettima, the federal lawmaker representing the locality, on Saturday, disputing claims that the Nigerian military had dealt a heavy blow to the invaders.

Many residents of the town have fled, including the state capital Damaturu.

One of the residents, Rawana Usman, said the terrorists killed two Christian employees of a non-governmental organisation in his neighbourhood.

“They were going round houses targeting Christians, NGO workers and those that are educated in the western schools.

“When I heard of the selective killings, I couldn’t resist, I left abruptly. I can say that there were soldiers engaging them. They have been doing their best to push out the terrorists, but I can tell you that these boys were moving normally in the town up to the time I left,” he said.

A 2019 report by the International Crisis Group, a non-profit think tank, observed that ISWAP’s approach to recruiting new fighters proved effective.

Despite breaking away from the Abubakar Shekau-led Boko Haram faction in 2016, the population of its fighters had roughly doubled those of the latter according to estimates.