Chapter Seven

The recruitment was not what Awwalu and his four friends had expected; it was more of an initiation. A man dressed in a flowing white babariga had taken them from where they disembarked to somewhere deep inside a forest they later learnt was called Sambisa where about fifty others were waiting to be recruited.

As soon as the seven men equally similarly dressed in babariga confirmed they were all Muslims, at midnight, they smiled broadly. This was going to be a simple recruitment. A different answer from anyone of them would have meant persuading the non- Muslim to convert to Islam or be killed instantly.

After introducing themselves and explaining their sorry tales, they were told to recite some Arabic terms along with the seven men after which some Arabic inscriptions were written on slates with a black chalk.

Muttering some incomprehensible words, the seven men went on to wash the inscriptions into a small clay pot which were then given each of them to drink. Smoke billowed from pots kept in strategic parts of the venue lighting up the place since it was a moonless night.

It was smooth sailing from then on as the code of conduct of the sect was read out to the recruits who nodded weakly as if in a trance. They were to obey every order without question as disobedience meant instant death and they were to sever any ties with non-sect members including blood relations with immediate effect, among other equally weird demands. One of such demands was that each of them must sleep with a non-Muslim virgin, preferably a Christian, with a particular loin cloth they were each given, tied around their waist. They were to ensure the virgin’s blood oozing from her private part touched the white loin cloth after which it should be returned to the spiritual heads conducting the initiation. Each of them was to also come with the freshly severed head of an infidel or non- Muslim. They were given only two weeks to fulfill the last two demands.

The new initiates were to learn later that the demand for a virgin Christian’s blood signified purity. It symbolized a fresh beginning for a recruit into the sect and that the person’s life has been purified while the severed head from an infidel meant the beginning of their readiness to make the ultimate sacrifice and preparedness to live selflessly for Allah and severance of ties from the past.

The following morning, they were shared into groups with four persons in each group. Each group was given ten foot soldiers to help the members to meet the demands of the last two obligations.

It took Awwalu and his friends over ten days to summon enough courage to meet the obligations. They had looked for one excuse or the other until the eleventh day when they met and discussed among themselves that they should move ahead since there was nothing to go back to at home if they were allowed to go back alive.

They had each meticulously searched out a religious home in the predominantly Christian town of Chibok, looked for the youngest in the home and deflowered her with the loin cloth tied around their waist and proceeded to wash their genitals with what, they were told, is “holy water” after which they severed the head of the family head aided by the ten foot soldiers.

The very night they returned with the stained loin clothes and severed heads, each of them was made to lie with a virgin Muslim girl signifying the beginning of a new, selfless life for Allah in a ceremony that lasted all through the night.

They were then put in Land Rovers and taken to Niger Republic for training.

Awwalu and his four friends did not bother to call their families and explain things. They simply threw away their phones’ SIM cards to prevent receiving phone calls from any and prepared for their journey to Niger Republic along with the about fifty others in the camp.

In Niger Republic, they were made to pass through four hours of intense training daily in the scorching heat of the desert after their daily devotional prayers by 5am. The training included how to use weapons and martial arts. From the colour of their skin and hair texture, it was easy to tell their instructors were foreigners from either Yemen or North Africa. Basic breathing techniques to help in conserving energy were also taught the initiates. Those who could not keep up with the demands of the rigorous training were sent to other areas like supply of logistics, ICT, etc. Aminu fell into this category. The last aspect of the training was in the area of making bombs and explosives using a combination of different chemicals and acid.

Six months later, the new initiates returned to Sambisa Forest to receive immediate posting. To their amazement and consternation, they were each given one hundred dollars. They exchanged glances. The bitterness was too much to be put into words but it was too late to go back. They decided to push forward though. The bridge linking their past was broken forever.

* * * * *

SAMBISA FOREST, 2001

By the time Malam Zakzaky was killed extra-judicially by operatives of the Nigeria Police, Suleman had received military training in Niger Republic, Chad and even Libya and knew every secret of the group.

He had also personally carried out several bombing expeditions escaping just before the explosive devices went off. He was feared even within the sect. He rarely spoke and when he did, it was to issue orders. None disobeyed as the penalty was instant death. His choice as successor to Malam Zakzaky was natural, ordained by Allah, the group members felt.

In his inaugural speech to the sect members deep inside Sambisa Forest after Zakzaky’s death, he warned them he would not tolerate betrayal, mediocrity or delay in carrying out orders. He ended that speech by announcing to all that his name was no longer Suleman.

“From now onwards, I am now Abdul Shekau!” he announced.

“Allah Akbar! Long live Abdul Shekau!” shouted the sect members.

* * * * *

Awwalu and his friends returned from their training in Niger to take up strategic positions within the sect since they were graduates.

Awwalu was given the position of Information Officer since he studied Mass Communication. He was to liaise with the different media organizations to ensure the terror acts of the group were given maximum publicity so as to send fear down the spine of their opposers. He took the new name Musa Qaqa.

Aminu always liked women. He was a chronic womanizer while on campus at the University of Jos, Plateau State. He was the one who suggested the group could have as many women as it wanted by abducting them.

Shekau approved his suggestion instantly. Young girls from the age of nine to twenty five became targets. Villages were attacked at midnight and women became part of the cattle, money and foodstuff they carried off into Sambisa. No one cared what their marital status was as long as they were young and beautiful. The virgins among them were kept for their leaders who, after satisfying their lust on a particular maiden, passed her over to the foot soldiers. These set of girls were raped by as many as six men a day and those who got pregnant were given a herbal concoction which flushed out the fetus from their wombs. Some died in the process while others lost their wombs. As the group was expanding to other neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad, Cameroon and even Mali, so was the need to increase the number of women to keep them comfortable.

Any area attacked by the group had its banks broken into so the group always had money in addition to proceeds it got from desperate politicians who wanted power at any cost.

The alliance the group entered with Al -Qaeda, Islamic State and Al Shabbab also ensured it got more funds in hard currency.