The former residence and administrative headquarters (markas) of Boko Haram’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in the centre of Maiduguri, Borno State, are now used as gang hideouts and pose a threat to the local population.
Terrorists from Boko Haram fired the initial rounds that put Nigeria on the map of terrorism.
In 2009, the revered shrine that Yusuf used to own was destroyed by the government. This happened not long after he and his followers went to war with the Nigerian government, killing hundreds of people.
14 years later, the Markas’ ruins—which are now occupied by criminals who have no idea what the government plans to do with the area—remain a sombre landmark for the relatives of those who died during the rebellion, according to the Daily Trust.
Residents said that thieves had taken over the destroyed markas and were terrorising bystanders, mainly at night, when The Daily Trust visited the area on Saturday.
A local named Sadiq Ibrahim stated that moral degeneration among young people and children was the area’s biggest problem and that it was also the source of other annoyances.
He warned that you would see young lads with bad hair, some using drugs, going to nightclubs, and other such things.
People shouldn’t follow the Markas neighbourhood after 8 o’clock at night since hoodlums will assault you and steal your stuff. For this reason, a lot of individuals are pleading with the government to erect a school there.
However, in my opinion, the government should create a business that will employ young people to wean them off of drugs and other vices. Many of us who are still dealing with the pain of what happened won’t be able to send our kids there if you open a school.
Another resident, Bakura Modu, claimed that the markas lads preyed on evening and nighttime travellers near the enclave’s hairpin bend.
They linger among the structure’s ruins to use narcotics, smoke Indian hemp, and attack people, he continued. They attacked a man and harmed him not too long after that.
A local named Adam Tela stated, “They will brandish a knife and demand that you give up your possessions.” They will hurt you and seize what they want if you resist. Although it’s close by, I usually make sure to return home by five o’clock.
Falmata (21) claimed that the criminals harassed women as well.
“I don’t want to discuss this, but the area needs to be cleared,” she remarked. My phone and money were once collected by them. They have treated numerous guests and a few of my friends in this way. Many atrocities are being committed by them.
Community leader Babagana Makinta bemoaned the area’s transformation into a hub of criminal activity and pleaded with the government to build a school there.
According to Makinta, the Boko Haram crisis began because of a lack of quality education. The majority of those who joined the cult lacked both religious and Western educational backgrounds and were illiterate.
We are grateful to Gov. Zulum for building nearby roads and boreholes to help the traumatised locals reconstruct their lives, but we lack a proper school, which is crucial given the current circumstances.
Muhammad Bukar, a local resident who was born and raised there, offered his opinion on the matter and stated that he did not flee during the crisis.
“I stayed back even after everyone left this spot,” he declared. Only when a deadly attack reached me in the town and a curfew was put in place did I sleep outside my home. I spent my two days at my friend’s house in exactly that way.
“Peace is gradually returning now that the Boko Haram situation is over.” We want the authorities to pay close attention because of this.
In addition to the criminals who posed a concern in the Markas area, he saw that a popular nightclub nearby had a negative influence on many young people.
“We want the authorities to step in and relocate them elsewhere since it’s destroying the morals of our young females while bringing more criminals into the Markas region,” the man continued.
In addition to the marks, we want the government to convert the abandoned railway station into a hospital or police station to avoid a repeat of the situation we found ourselves in.
Chukwuemaka They would be the ones to assist us in the future, according to Emmanuel Ani, a fellow local who runs a school nearby that offers both Western and Islamic education.
A security guard at the train station, Baba Usman Mele, characterised the circumstances as alarming and stated that immediate action was required.
“We’ve had enough of 2009’s bloody mayhem,” he declared. In that preventable tragedy, our women, children, and many breadwinners were caught up and lost their lives.
“We’ve suffered a lot. Every inhabitant of this community has a traumatic story to share. Since this is the only location we call home, we all went into exile but subsequently came back when the situation calmed down.
“We are pleading with the government to intervene here.”
He responded, “We have not because most of the people committing these acts are not strangers,” when asked if we had reported the nasty trend to the government. They interact with locals throughout the day as good individuals, but at night they transform into monsters.
When contacted, Muhammad Shatambaya, the police spokesman for Borno State, stated that they had made several arrests and had received complaints from locals after the arrival of the new Commissioner of Police (CP) in Maiduguri.
“Our surveillance team entered the location and made arrests,” he declared. While some were taken to court, others were paraded.
“I’m also urging the locals to get in touch with us at our control room numbers anytime they need our assistance.”
