An indigene of Chibok in Borno State, who is also a member of the #BringBackOurGirls group, Peter Illiya, in this interview with ADELANI ADEPEGBA, advised the Federal Government to request for an international security force from the United Nations to rescue the abducted school girls and combat Boko Haram, if it knows it lacks the capacity to do so. Excerpts:
It’s over four months since the Chibok school girls were abducted by Boko Haram and the government has repeatedly assured the nation that they would be rescued alive. Do you believe in the assurances of the government?
To be honest, as a citizen of Nigeria I have very serious misgivings about the assurances. I would not out rightly say the assurances amount to nothing, but I have serious misgivings about the assurances materialising soon enough.
Are you not impressed by what the government has done so far, like initiating a negotiation with Boko Haram for the release of the girls?
Yes, if they are negotiating, I am impressed. I have always said that negotiation, in fact, is the only option. Any other things can be done, I don’t need to elaborate on what is to be done after negotiation, but negotiation is the only way now because we had lost the initiative to use military action right from the beginning.
We lost the initiative to do so many other things that I may not need to elaborate but negotiation is the only option now because even the military, they keep telling us that they are sending more soldiers there. There have been several attacks in Bama, Damboa and other places, while the government is saying one thing; the facts on the ground are to the contrary. For God’s sake, this is common logic now, everybody sees what is happening, everybody hears what is happening, our people are there at home, if anything happens, if there is a gunshot, they call us and tell us. Yet, the government is saying something different and every day, the facts on the ground contradict what the government is saying, so it doesn’t make sense to believe in what the government is saying.
So are you saying the government efforts are not enough?
It is not enough, absolutely it is not enough; but if for lack of capacity, that is the best they can do, then they should come clean and say it. I have said it during the meeting here that probably, if we cannot, then let the government ask the United Nations to help with an international security force because it had happened in Afganistan, it had happened in Kosovo, so that they can provide basic security. Now, you see that from Maiduguri, you can’t come to Damboa, you can’t come to Biu; from Biu, you reach Gombe, from Maiduguri, you can’t pass through Potiskum to come to Bauchi and from Bauchi, you must pass to reach Jos and other parts of Nigeria. So there is no other way except states like Adamawa and Taraba that have another road through Benue, but we in Borno, we in Yobe, we in Gombe, we don’t have any other road to come to Abuja except through these dangerous routes and every day, there are attacks.
Our people are hemmed in now; there is no food because there has been no farming in the last two years. They are hungry and they can’t even move out, they are hemmed in, every road that leads to these three states that I have told you is very dangerous and to make it worse, there is no flight to Maiduguri Airport. If you fly to Yola, thinking you can reach Borno, the roads are very dangerous; it’s either you go through Bama-Banki which for more than two years, nobody has been using that road or you go through Mubi, Uba and Askira and then two days ago, Dille, a village in Askira-Uba, less than 30 km from Uba, was attacked with very devastating casualties.
When was the last time you visited Chibok?
The last I visited Chibok was during Easter time this year, immediately after the abduction of the girls.
From the reports available to you and your contacts with the people there, what is their situation now?
In fact, the situation around Easter immediately after the abduction was much more better than the situation now. The situation has been deteriorating day by day. Look, one of my nieces was one of those abducted but she escaped less than 5km outside Chibok. She escaped, she was not even taken in to their camp, and she escaped that very night. The security was much better then because there were no attacks immediately after that, but now almost on a daily basis, there are attacks.
Do you entertain fears that your niece and other family members in Chibok could still be abducted or attacked?
It is possible, it is a distinct possibility. Where there is no security, anything can happen. Ordinary robbers can come and terrorise them, talk less of Boko Haram people. Anything is possible, where there is no security, all hell breaks loose.
What is your response to the government’s position that the BringBackOurGirls group is being sponsored by the opposition?
It is unethical for any government official to say that. The opposition has been there now, and they know the lines and thoughts of the opposition, the way the opposition operates, they know very well. Some of them in the government today, who are shouting themselves hoarse against the opposition, were members of the opposition party before. They have only been called to come and eat. That is why they cannot talk again, but truth be told, we don’t have anything with the opposition, that is why even the other time, the Senator representing Southern Borno, where the abduction took place, he came here but he was not recognised, for fear of being branded a political group, for fear of being branded an opposition group, or an affiliate of the opposition party that the government is talking about. I was pained because he is my Senator, I kept insisting that let him be allowed to say a word, but the leadership vehemently resisted it and the man was frustrated and he left.
“We are not happy about that but because if had stood up to talk, government would have said, he is APC and therefore the group is opposition group. But let me tell you clearly, the opposition has nothing to do with what we are doing. They cannot come to terms with the fact that for the first time, there is a group in Nigeria that has come up to advocate for transparency, honesty, truth, justice and accountability from the government, to have lasted 80 days plus. All other groups have fizzled out in less than two weeks. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria and we are going to stand for these girls until they are brought back alive or God forbid, we hear that they are declared dead, God forbid.
What has been sustaining the BBOG for the past months and what is the motivation?
The motivation is humanity. Let me put it in proper perspective: I am from Chibok, specifically from Kautikari in Borno State. Kautikari is less than 20km South-East of Chibok. In 1963, my parents migrated from Kautikari to Mubi in present Adamawa State in search of a better future and that was how my parents came to settle in Mubi and I was born and brought up there.
In Mubi, there are predominantly Fulani and Hausa there and other tribes, so I grew up speaking Fulfude, I speak it fluently up till now, I speak Ibo, Yoruba, Kamue, that is the language from Michika, in Adamawa State, I speak so many other languages. I was born in Mubi, went to primary school in Mubi, attended secondary school in Warri, in Old Bendel State and had my university education at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. My birth was outside my ancestral home, all my education was outside my ancestral home. So its humanity that is making me to do this, I have no political affiliations, it’s purely humanity.
When I heard that 59 boys were slaughtered at the Federal Government College, Bunin Nyadi, I remembered that I went to a Federal Government College in Warri, I put myself in their shoes and said, ‘if while in Warri, they had slaughtered me between 1978 and 1983 while I was there, what would have happened?’ Then this year, we went to our school for the annual general meeting in Warri, we heard them ringing the school bell 59 times in memory of those boys and we trekked 5.9km,very symbolic, in memory of those boys. We shed tears, we wiped away our tears knowing that we could not bring back the dead, but those who are alive in captivity of terrorists, there is always hope that they would come back and that is what informed our forming of this group, BringBackOurGirls.
I came one Sunday from our Chibok community meeting in Abuja here and when I looked around, that day, prior to our arrival, there was no single Chibok person, Chibok by tribe or origin, in this meeting. I looked, I saw Ibo women, I saw Yoruba women, I saw people from Delta State, from Kogi, Ekiti , Bayelsa, Rivers and all over Nigeria and I said these are people that are more Chibok than I am. I was overwhelmed and since that day, I have not departed from this group. The Chairman of our Chibok community is here, he is always here, I am always here and if anything unfortunate happens to children or less privileged people in any part of the country, we will stand for them.
So what about allegation that the movement is being sponsored by foreign agencies and the opposition party?
No one is sponsoring us, you have been here. Do we eat anything? Do we drink anything? They sponsored people who came here for one week, they were eating, they were cooking, they were trading, at the end, the money fizzled out, just like anything that is not borne out of truth, noble ideals and patriotism. They attacked us here, somebody’s arm was broken, we all took it. They accused us of drinking diet coke and eating crackers, to the extent that we all said anything more than water, we would not even drink here.
Nobody brings anything here, we don’t have canopy. To answer your question, no opposition group, no foreign agency is sponsoring us. You can see the people; does Oby Ezekwesili looked like somebody who can be sponsored? A woman that advises minimum of six presidents across the world on economic matters is somebody that would be sponsored? I am a civil servant, I am a deputy director, and do I look like somebody that can be sponsored? Thank God, my salary is enough to feed me and I have other investments because before I joined government service, I have been on my own. I have made good money and am proud to say I am not a pauper, I can take care of myself, and I don’t need anybody’s help.
Other people that are here are self-made. The young ones are looking at us, that is why when we want to go home, anybody going my way, I asked them to join me in the vehicle. Nobody is sponsoring us and we are not receiving donations from anybody.
As a civil servant, have you ever entertained fears that you may be victimised on account of government opposition to this group?
Of course, the fear is always there, but then, I know that I am not doing anything wrong; I have not contravened any law. I have not gone against civil service regulations, I am not talking about the organisation where I work, I am not talking about any ministry, department or agency, and I am expressing my opinion as a bonafide Nigerian with full constitutional rights of expression and assembly. I have not abused anybody or denigrated anybody’s office, so I am not afraid; I know my rights, I know the constitution, and I know where I can run to for redress should anybody attempt to victimise me.
It’s over four months since the Chibok school girls were abducted by Boko Haram and the government has repeatedly assured the nation that they would be rescued alive. Do you believe in the assurances of the government?
To be honest, as a citizen of Nigeria I have very serious misgivings about the assurances. I would not out rightly say the assurances amount to nothing, but I have serious misgivings about the assurances materialising soon enough.
Are you not impressed by what the government has done so far, like initiating a negotiation with Boko Haram for the release of the girls?
Yes, if they are negotiating, I am impressed. I have always said that negotiation, in fact, is the only option. Any other things can be done, I don’t need to elaborate on what is to be done after negotiation, but negotiation is the only way now because we had lost the initiative to use military action right from the beginning.
We lost the initiative to do so many other things that I may not need to elaborate but negotiation is the only option now because even the military, they keep telling us that they are sending more soldiers there. There have been several attacks in Bama, Damboa and other places, while the government is saying one thing; the facts on the ground are to the contrary. For God’s sake, this is common logic now, everybody sees what is happening, everybody hears what is happening, our people are there at home, if anything happens, if there is a gunshot, they call us and tell us. Yet, the government is saying something different and every day, the facts on the ground contradict what the government is saying, so it doesn’t make sense to believe in what the government is saying.
So are you saying the government efforts are not enough?
It is not enough, absolutely it is not enough; but if for lack of capacity, that is the best they can do, then they should come clean and say it. I have said it during the meeting here that probably, if we cannot, then let the government ask the United Nations to help with an international security force because it had happened in Afganistan, it had happened in Kosovo, so that they can provide basic security. Now, you see that from Maiduguri, you can’t come to Damboa, you can’t come to Biu; from Biu, you reach Gombe, from Maiduguri, you can’t pass through Potiskum to come to Bauchi and from Bauchi, you must pass to reach Jos and other parts of Nigeria. So there is no other way except states like Adamawa and Taraba that have another road through Benue, but we in Borno, we in Yobe, we in Gombe, we don’t have any other road to come to Abuja except through these dangerous routes and every day, there are attacks.
Our people are hemmed in now; there is no food because there has been no farming in the last two years. They are hungry and they can’t even move out, they are hemmed in, every road that leads to these three states that I have told you is very dangerous and to make it worse, there is no flight to Maiduguri Airport. If you fly to Yola, thinking you can reach Borno, the roads are very dangerous; it’s either you go through Bama-Banki which for more than two years, nobody has been using that road or you go through Mubi, Uba and Askira and then two days ago, Dille, a village in Askira-Uba, less than 30 km from Uba, was attacked with very devastating casualties.
When was the last time you visited Chibok?
The last I visited Chibok was during Easter time this year, immediately after the abduction of the girls.
From the reports available to you and your contacts with the people there, what is their situation now?
In fact, the situation around Easter immediately after the abduction was much more better than the situation now. The situation has been deteriorating day by day. Look, one of my nieces was one of those abducted but she escaped less than 5km outside Chibok. She escaped, she was not even taken in to their camp, and she escaped that very night. The security was much better then because there were no attacks immediately after that, but now almost on a daily basis, there are attacks.
Do you entertain fears that your niece and other family members in Chibok could still be abducted or attacked?
It is possible, it is a distinct possibility. Where there is no security, anything can happen. Ordinary robbers can come and terrorise them, talk less of Boko Haram people. Anything is possible, where there is no security, all hell breaks loose.
What is your response to the government’s position that the BringBackOurGirls group is being sponsored by the opposition?
It is unethical for any government official to say that. The opposition has been there now, and they know the lines and thoughts of the opposition, the way the opposition operates, they know very well. Some of them in the government today, who are shouting themselves hoarse against the opposition, were members of the opposition party before. They have only been called to come and eat. That is why they cannot talk again, but truth be told, we don’t have anything with the opposition, that is why even the other time, the Senator representing Southern Borno, where the abduction took place, he came here but he was not recognised, for fear of being branded a political group, for fear of being branded an opposition group, or an affiliate of the opposition party that the government is talking about. I was pained because he is my Senator, I kept insisting that let him be allowed to say a word, but the leadership vehemently resisted it and the man was frustrated and he left.
“We are not happy about that but because if had stood up to talk, government would have said, he is APC and therefore the group is opposition group. But let me tell you clearly, the opposition has nothing to do with what we are doing. They cannot come to terms with the fact that for the first time, there is a group in Nigeria that has come up to advocate for transparency, honesty, truth, justice and accountability from the government, to have lasted 80 days plus. All other groups have fizzled out in less than two weeks. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria and we are going to stand for these girls until they are brought back alive or God forbid, we hear that they are declared dead, God forbid.
What has been sustaining the BBOG for the past months and what is the motivation?
The motivation is humanity. Let me put it in proper perspective: I am from Chibok, specifically from Kautikari in Borno State. Kautikari is less than 20km South-East of Chibok. In 1963, my parents migrated from Kautikari to Mubi in present Adamawa State in search of a better future and that was how my parents came to settle in Mubi and I was born and brought up there.
In Mubi, there are predominantly Fulani and Hausa there and other tribes, so I grew up speaking Fulfude, I speak it fluently up till now, I speak Ibo, Yoruba, Kamue, that is the language from Michika, in Adamawa State, I speak so many other languages. I was born in Mubi, went to primary school in Mubi, attended secondary school in Warri, in Old Bendel State and had my university education at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. My birth was outside my ancestral home, all my education was outside my ancestral home. So its humanity that is making me to do this, I have no political affiliations, it’s purely humanity.
When I heard that 59 boys were slaughtered at the Federal Government College, Bunin Nyadi, I remembered that I went to a Federal Government College in Warri, I put myself in their shoes and said, ‘if while in Warri, they had slaughtered me between 1978 and 1983 while I was there, what would have happened?’ Then this year, we went to our school for the annual general meeting in Warri, we heard them ringing the school bell 59 times in memory of those boys and we trekked 5.9km,very symbolic, in memory of those boys. We shed tears, we wiped away our tears knowing that we could not bring back the dead, but those who are alive in captivity of terrorists, there is always hope that they would come back and that is what informed our forming of this group, BringBackOurGirls.
I came one Sunday from our Chibok community meeting in Abuja here and when I looked around, that day, prior to our arrival, there was no single Chibok person, Chibok by tribe or origin, in this meeting. I looked, I saw Ibo women, I saw Yoruba women, I saw people from Delta State, from Kogi, Ekiti , Bayelsa, Rivers and all over Nigeria and I said these are people that are more Chibok than I am. I was overwhelmed and since that day, I have not departed from this group. The Chairman of our Chibok community is here, he is always here, I am always here and if anything unfortunate happens to children or less privileged people in any part of the country, we will stand for them.
So what about allegation that the movement is being sponsored by foreign agencies and the opposition party?
No one is sponsoring us, you have been here. Do we eat anything? Do we drink anything? They sponsored people who came here for one week, they were eating, they were cooking, they were trading, at the end, the money fizzled out, just like anything that is not borne out of truth, noble ideals and patriotism. They attacked us here, somebody’s arm was broken, we all took it. They accused us of drinking diet coke and eating crackers, to the extent that we all said anything more than water, we would not even drink here.
Nobody brings anything here, we don’t have canopy. To answer your question, no opposition group, no foreign agency is sponsoring us. You can see the people; does Oby Ezekwesili looked like somebody who can be sponsored? A woman that advises minimum of six presidents across the world on economic matters is somebody that would be sponsored? I am a civil servant, I am a deputy director, and do I look like somebody that can be sponsored? Thank God, my salary is enough to feed me and I have other investments because before I joined government service, I have been on my own. I have made good money and am proud to say I am not a pauper, I can take care of myself, and I don’t need anybody’s help.
Other people that are here are self-made. The young ones are looking at us, that is why when we want to go home, anybody going my way, I asked them to join me in the vehicle. Nobody is sponsoring us and we are not receiving donations from anybody.
As a civil servant, have you ever entertained fears that you may be victimised on account of government opposition to this group?
Of course, the fear is always there, but then, I know that I am not doing anything wrong; I have not contravened any law. I have not gone against civil service regulations, I am not talking about the organisation where I work, I am not talking about any ministry, department or agency, and I am expressing my opinion as a bonafide Nigerian with full constitutional rights of expression and assembly. I have not abused anybody or denigrated anybody’s office, so I am not afraid; I know my rights, I know the constitution, and I know where I can run to for redress should anybody attempt to victimise me.
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