A household provisions seller, has narrated how his claim that he was a mechanic and a Muslim helped him to escape from Boko Haram’s den

A household provisions seller, Kwatri, has narrated how his claim that he was a mechanic and a Muslim helped him to escape from Boko Haram’s den in Mubi, Adamawa state.

Kwatri, who is a Christian, while narrating his ordeal in Boko Haram’s den to Daily Times at the NYSC camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Damare in Adamawa state, informed that he repeatedly chanted: “Allahu Akbar” when he was confronted with death in the hands of the Boko Haram insurgents.

According to Kwatri, when the terrorists learnt he was a mechanic, they knew he could be put to good use because their vehicles often need the attention of mechanics.

While narrating how he was kidnapped by the Boko Haram insurgents, Kwatri, who stated that he had to name himself Mohammed, said: “I regret the day I chose to go to Mubi to buy goods for my provision shop in Michika. On that fateful day, I remember I asked my wife what should I buy for her and she replied that I should buy anything eatable.

“On reaching Maraban Mubi, I noticed that all the roads were blocked and I told myself that it must be the Nigerian army because all the people there were wearing khaki.

“Unknown to me, they were Boko Haram insurgents and had already levelled the whole of Maraban Mubi. There was nowhere to run to as the roads were had been blocked.

“Suddenly, somebody barked orders at me. I immediately knew that my life was in danger.” Then, one of the terrorists asked: “What do you do for a living?

“I lied and said, ‘I am a mechanic and shouted Allahu Akbar’. One of them said they should not kill me because of my skills as a mechanic.”

Kwatri added that the insurgents then bundled him into a Hilux pickup van and drove deep into Sambisa forest.

He said: “There I saw thousands of people from all walks of life doing one thing or the other. The Boko Haram members are really prepared for anything, seeing how well-organized they are and the structure of their leadership.
“They took me to a place they called training camp. There I noticed that all they do was to inculcate their beliefs and different orientation of Islam in people.

“It was a total brain wash of strange Islamic beliefs. What we mostly did at that stage was to maintain the day to day affairs of domestic issues based on what your field was.

“On a daily basis, we were made to go to a training camp where they taught us how to handle guns and manufacture bombs.”

Kwatri stated that his dramatic escape from the Boko Haram’s den came the day their chief instructor was changed and another person who happened to be bearing his adopted name, Mohammed, took over.

He said: “The chief instructor was given a different assignment and they brought somebody called Alhaji Mohammed. He asked me my name.

“Fortunately, we were namesakes; my former name was no longer what I was answering. I answered Mohammed and our new instructor became fond of me.

“One day, he asked me whether I wanted to see my family in Michika and I said yes. “The following day oga Mohammed sent me on errand to get him one of abducted women in the next camp which was close to the Michika mountains, a walk of about 50 kilometers. And I told myself if I could trek that far, why should I not try to escape?

“I told myself if I die, I die and if I live, in live. I trekked as fast as I could. Before I knew it, I had arrived in Michika. I discovered that the place was still under the siege by Boko Haram.

“I looked for where to hide for the next day. At dawn, I sneaked away through a route to Hong and from Hong to Yola camp for displaced persons where I met so many people from my town in a pitiable situation.

“As I am talking to you now, I can find my wife and children.”

Meanwhile, the official representatives of the Nigerian military have announced the recapture of Buni Yadi and Buni Gari, Yobe state from Boko Haram insurgents.