Was slain Adamu really a member of Boko Haram?

Family members of Adamu Umaru, a middle-aged man who was killed in Damboa local government, Borno state, for alleged membership of Boko Haram, are demanding the probe of his death.

Idris Umaru, younger brother of the deceased, told TheCable that poor intelligence on the part of the local vigilante outfit, better known as Civilian JTF, led to the death of Adamu.

According to him, Adamu was arrested in July at a bus station in Damboa two days after Boko Haram unleashed terror on the area. He was killed on July 6, 2014.

“Civilian JTF members are animals. They just caught my brother at the motor park and said that he was a member of Boko Haram who just came out of the bush,” Umaru said.

“People around told us that he brought out his ID card and did all he could to tell them that he was innocent, but they refused and handed him over to soldiers, who killed him.”

TheCable’s findings revealed that the late Adamu was a factory worker at Fezel Nigeria Limited — a construction company located at Kingsway road, Ikoyi in Lagos. However, a major downsizing by the company in 2013 affected him and he became jobless until he was employed as a security guard at a private residence at Milverton Street, still in Ikoyi.

Unlike the construction company job, his new job did not pay him enough to cater to his family responsibilities, hence he returned his wife and children (aged 1 and 3) to Maiduguri, capital of Borno.

Having missed his family so much, Adamu decided, in June, to travel home to spend the Ramadan season with them. He also wanted to sell his plots of land in Kauje village, Damboa.

Idris Babagana, Adamu’s personal friend and colleague at Milverton described, him as honest and hardworking. He said they were so close to the extent of always observing prayers together at a mosque in Ruxton Street, adjacent Milverton, so he was sure the slain man was not a member of Boko Haram

“The economic realities made even me decide to send my children back to Borno, too. I discussed with Adamu, and he agreed to take them along when travelling.

“But the children were about to commence third term examination, and their teacher advised that they should conclude before travelling. I told Adamu about the advice of the teacher, but he said he could not delay his trip till the end of the month when the children were to complete their examination.”

The deceased arrived Maiduguri safely and spent some days with his wife and children, before heading to accomplish his mission in his village. Adamu, who last visited his village in 2009, had the intention of selling the land to raise the money with which to further his education, with the hope of securing a better job thereafter.

Back in the village, Adamu made contacts that facilitated the sale of the land, and he planned to return to Maiduguri immediately, but an attack by Boko Haram men in the area forced him to pass the night at his sister’s in Damboa.

Two days later when it appeared that post-attack panic had petered out, Adamu set out to reunite with his family, but it was a journey he never survived.

“He called to inform me that he couldn’t go to Maiduguri as earlier planned, because there was an attack at Damboa. He said everything was fine and he was on his way,” his younger brother said.

Umaru explained that members of the civilian JTF are very suspicious about movement of people, particularly unfamiliar faces. They have lost many men to the insurgency, so they do not pass up any opportunity to take vengeance on suspected Boko Haram men.

“The vigilante group took Adamu for a member of the sect and all attempts to prove his innocence fell on deaf ears,” Umaru lamented.

“He was handed over to the military as a terrorist and the soldiers killed him in controversial circumstances.”

But the allegation of unjustly killing an innocent civilian is one that head of Civilian JTF in Damboa, Alhaji Kassim Ciroma,  denied.

“Wallahi, it’s not true,” he said.

“Nothing like that happened. We didn’t hand over anybody like that to the military. We are here to defend the people and we cannot do anything like that.”

However, when asked if his group arrests and hands over suspected insurgents to soldiers, he gave no response.

Already, Adamu’s family has contacted a lawyer to take up the case, especially as the “vigilantes in Damboa have admitted responsibility” for the action and are only just trying to cover up the matter.

“When we met the chairman and secretary of Damboa local government and realised that they were not forthcoming, we reported to Civilian JTF at Maiduguri and they contacted Damboa. The Civilian JTF in Damboa apologised, so why are they denying now?”

He stated that to cover up for such acts, victims of unjust killings are given mass burials by the military; and that was the fate that befell his brother.

“We could not bury him in accordance with the rites of our religion because they did not release his corpse. We heard that they had buried him.  He was killed just like that,” he said, breaking down in tears.

“He could not hurt a fly; Adamu was very gentle and hardworking. It is bad that they just killed him like that. He sponsored me to primary school and has been assisting every member of the family since our father died a long time ago. We counted on him.

“How do they want his wife and children to survive? Why did they not try and find out if truly he was from that village or not. Why? Our mother is still alive and we know the grief she feels over this incident. It is very painful.

“Though we have left everything to God, we have contacted a lawyer that is taking up this case and we want the government to take action.”

Adamu’s in-law, Babagana Mohammed, also reminisced on the life of the deceased.

“He helped me to get a job because we were both working at the construction company. Whenever, they delayed our salary, he was the one I ran to and he assisted,” Mohammed said.

“He helped me a lot even though I’m married to his sister, and I am the one who should be giving to him. Never was he a member of Boko Haram.

“I just don’t know what to say. He was so kind and ready to assist. Even when he didn’t have, he borrowed just to assist.”