Muhammed Amao: Sabon Geri in Maiduguri cry out for help

The repeated attacks on the Sabon Geri community, a neglected village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, reached their peak the weekend before last when the dreaded Boko Haram sect launched a nocturnal operation against the community. They wreaked havoc on several farmlands, homes, and properties in the process.

The once fairly densely populated community is now becoming increasingly deserted as many residents have fled the village out of fear of being killed by the Boko Haram sect, who have staged numerous attacks on the community in what they describe as a revenge mission.

It is recalled that on February 3, 2024, officers of the Nigerian Army responded to a call from one Muhammed Amao, who felt shortchanged and disappointed that a large portion of his father’s farm produce had been consumed and destroyed by cattle belonging to people from a neighbouring village, which appeared to be indiscriminate grazing.

The military reportedly invited and arrested some herdsmen during the operation.

Angered by the military action, some individuals believed to be members of the Boko Haram group, in a nocturnal raid, invaded the Sabon Geri community the following week, destroying several houses and properties.

One of the few remaining residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that during each of the raids, from the first to the last, the sect members were always heard mentioning the names of Muhammed Amao and his mother, while also threatening to maim him and wipe out his generation.

Efforts to contact Amao have been unsuccessful as his whereabouts are unknown, but according to another community resident, his 5-year-old daughter has been kidnapped.

The Sabon Geri community is now calling on the federal government to intervene and provide assistance for the village, as they lament years of marginalisation that have left the community virtually abandoned with no basic social amenities.