Traditional hunters in the north-eastern states of Nigeria have gathered and taken it upon themselves to take the offence to Boko Haram with the goal of bringing back the abducted Chibok girls.
On Sunday, over 500 hunters armed with Dane guns, poisoned spears and amulets assembled in Borno State convinced that they are armed enough to combat the Islamic terrorists and end the painfully long and sad experience of the girls in their captivity.
The hunters, with age ranging from 18 to 80, told journalists that they have particularly selected by their peers to take on the challenge because of their spiritual hunting prowess. They added that they have been waiting for two weeks in Maiduguri, the state capital, to get the go-ahead from the Military before they hit the Sambisa Forest trail. They claim to already have the consent of a legislator in the state.
Blowing on cow horn trumpets to herald the planned battle, wearing charms in leather pouches, cowrie shells, animal teeth and leather bracelets to protect them from bullets, the hunters displayed their martial skills in weapons handling and manoeuvring, occasionally stabbing and cutting themselves without any damage occurring. They maintained that their magic charms prevented the weapons from bringing any bodily harm to them.
Spokesmen for the hunters, Sarkin Baka, puzzeled at the inability of the military to act decisively, saying everything, save for actually dismissing the military as useless.
“We’re not saying we are better than the soldiers, but we know the bush better than the soldiers,” said Sarkin Baka.
The Military has not reacted to the hunters’ move as to whether it will just dismiss them or take advantage of their indigenous know-how.
The hunters added that they have grown impatience with the inaction of the military over the issue and would soon run out of patience to wait for a go-ahead any further.
“We are veteran hunters, the bush is our culture and we have the powers that defy guns and knives; we are real men of courage, we trust in Allah for protection, but we are not afraid of Boko Haram,” Baban Kano, one of the hunters said.
He continued that if the government would give them adequate support, the hunters would surely we can bring back the girls.
“But if they are not ready to support we will disband and return to our homes and family,” Baban Kano concluded.
Meanwhile, Americas manned aircraft and camera-carrying drones are still traversing the skys above Sambisa Forest searching for the hideouts of the abductors. Military teams from America, Britain, France, Spain and Israel with expertise in surveillance, intelligence gathering, counterterrorism and hostage negotiation are also present.
Since the mass abduction occurred on 14th April, a total of 53 girls have escaped and an estimated 276 remain in captivity, according to the police.
They were driven into the nearby Sambisa Forest, according to witnesses. Unverified reports from two federal senators from the region and Chibok residents quoting villagers in the forest and elsewhere indicated some of the girls may have been forced to marry their abductors and some may have been taken across the border into Cameroon.
Nigeria’s military insists that it is diligently searching for the girls and says near-daily aerial bombardments of the forest that began in mid-January were stopped to avoid accidentally hitting
According to Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), , Mr. Mike Omeri, in a statement on Friday, the Nigerian Military is painstakingly searching for the girls, claiming that the Military had only recently stopped aerial attacks on the place for fear it might unwittingly harm the girls along with their captors
“Our troops are out there combing the forests and all other possible locations searching for our fellow citizens. International support is also there assisting the process,” Omeri had said.
It is claimed by villagers in the Sambisa Forest that no uniformed soldier has been sighted in the forest ever since the kidnapping.
The insurgents recently bombed the only bridge linking Borno state to Cameroon and Chad, where they have hideouts in mountain caves and another forested game reserve.
