Borno hunters’ leader feared kidnaped by Boko Haram

By DUKU JOEL, Maiduguri

The leader of Borno hunters and a strong partner of the Military in the fight against Boko Haram in Borno State, Abdulkareem Umar aka Baba Maigiwa, may have been abducted by Boko Haram, The Nation has learnt.

Local sources revealed that Baba Maigiwa may have been held hostage by a Boko Haram factional leader, Modu Sulum, in what was described as a failed negotiation deal.

Baba Maigiwa is the leader of hundreds of hunters recruited last year by Borno State Government to compliment efforts of the military in the fight against Boko Haram.

He is well known as the leader of the hunters that assisted Bauchi State Government under then Governor Isa Yuguda to nip the Boko Haram activities in the state in 2009.

In Borno State, Baba Maigiwa is believed to be in charge of over 5,000 hunters and vigilantes, launching offensive on the insurgents alongside with the military.

A close source revealed that Baba Maigiwa initiated a truce negotiation with one of the factional leaders after which a meeting was agreed following advance talks between them.

The source said: “Modu Sulum had promised to lay down his arms along with hundreds of his fighters and accept meaningful reintegration.

“Some of the demands by the insurgents leader were that the government should give immunity to him and his members to return into the society and cohabit peacefully, provide them with houses and other basic livelihood support, which the leader of the hunter promised to facilitate.

“Modu Sulum equally requested the negotiators to come along with15 bicycles tubes and many others items to facilitate the negotiation process at the insurgents’ camp along the Borzoggo triangle

“Consequently, while the process of the negotiation was taken place on July 4th, the terrorist leader changed his mind, and took Baba Maigiwa along with two other hunters (name withheld), into hostage. Since then, we have not heard from Baba Maigiwa.”

Another source, who collaborated the development, added: “Since the meeting of Baba Maigiwa with the Boko Haram leader, no one has heard from him, including the other two hunters that embarked on the mission with him.”

The ‘dead silence’, according to him, is an indication that “Baba Maigiwa may have been held hostage by Modu Sulum factional group of Boko Haram”.

There had been no official statement over the missing hunters’ commander as at the time of filling this report. (The Nation)