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From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Theatre Commander of the counter-insurgency operation in the northeast, Operation Hardin Kai, Maj Gen Christopher Musa has warned people against interacting or doing business with Boko Haram and its split; Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Gen Musa, in a briefing with newsmen at the Operation Hardin Kai Theatre Command headquarters, Maiduguri, Borno capital, said conversation and trading activities with the insurgents could be counter-productive as they could turn against their business partners anytime the way they killed the scrap metal scavengers
“People should avoid trading with them (Boko Haram/ISWAP). Why should individual go to filling stations, buy fuel and symphon it them to the insurgents? People going to market, buy foods and give them to the insurgents. These are the things prolonging the insurgency,” he declared.
He however said troops in the operation were doing everything possible to deny the insurgents access to these logistics which he said, were strengthening the terror acts in the area.
“This is why it is important for the members of the public to understand that if you trade with Boko Haram or ISWAP, they will turn back against you because they are bunch of criminals, they have no regard for human life. We have seen what they did to the scrap guys (metal scavengers), how they killed them, all because they were interacting and trading with them. So people should avoid doing any business with them,” he advised.
He also explained why farming activities in Borno State are restricted to farmlands not far from communities. He said the volatile nature of most of the liberated communities especially presence of unexplored bombs, ordinances and mortals, could make farmers more vulnerable and farming highly risky in the areas.
“There could be unexplored ordinances and we wouldn’t want to take risk until the areas are .properly cleared before farmers can go back to their farmlands, This is why it is very critical for us,” he explained.
The commander said the theatre was working hard to ensure farmers go back to their farmlands this year so as to have increased food productions and harvest.
