From TIMOTHY OLANREWAJU, Maiduguri
The lingering Boko Haram insurgency in some states of the North yesterday witnessed a strange trend as gunmen suspected to be members of the sect kidnapped the first Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum, Shettima Ali Monguno. The octogenarian Monguno, who was the Nigerian representative at the United Nations General Assembly, was reportedly kidnapped by four gunmen shortly after performing the Friday Muslim (Juma’at) prayers at Mafoni, a Boko Haram hot spot in Maiduguri.
An eyewitness, Malami Mansur said the foremost educationist was abducted while he was leaving the mosque for his GRA home. “Four young men appeared with guns and asked those who were with him to get out of the car, a peugeot station wagon, and they took him away,” the man said. Family members and relations had gathered at his expansive compound yesterday afternoon when the news broke out. Many wondered why Ali Monguno who has been advocating dialogue as a way of resolving the Boko Haram imbroglio suddenly became the target of the sect’s new kidnap strategy.
“It is sad and ironical. It appears like a twist in the whole insecurity issue,” a senior official of the Borno State government said. Monguno’s kidnap yesterday is believed in the security circle in the state to be an outcome of intelligence report on the insurgent group. The Joint Task Force (JTF) had last week warned of plans by Boko Haram to commence kidnap of senior government officials and rich men ostensibly to raise fund to finance its activities. “Intelligence available to the task force has indicated that Boko Haram terrorists have resolved to concentrate more on kidnapping than robbery.
They alleged that kidnapping is more lucrative, less dangerous and requires short time to plan and execute. Similarly, a special kidnapping squad has been earmarked and tasked by the sect to kidnap persons who could be wealthy relations, politicians, businessmen/women, traditional rulers, senior civil servants and foreigners alike. “The task force wishes to alert members of the public of this trend, urge all to be wary and continue to be security conscious at all times. The public are advised to avoid or be very sensitive to strangers and friends that have not been in contact for long. “Additionally, members of the public are also warned to avoid isolated areas and shun meetings or friendship organized through telephones or social media,” a JTF statement signed by Lt Col Sagir Musa had said.
Shettima had advocated an amnesty package for the Boko Haram members when President Goodluck Jonathan visited Borno early March to end the lingering insurgency in northern Nigeria. Meanwhile, a top official of the state government told Saturday Sun that Governor Shettima was “obviously shocked, emotional and disturbed on receiving news about the kidnap of elder statesman and former Minister of Petroleum, Dr Shettima Ali Monguno.
“Governor Shettima had just returned from Friday prayers himself and was scheduled to visit the Borno State Radio and Television house to inspect the station and interact with management and staff of the station to mark the World Press Freedom Day, held today (yesterday) before he cancelled the visit following the incident. A visibly worried Shettima was tearful.”
The source further said the governor wondered why “a 92-year-old man that has dedicated his life to helping orphans, poor widows and vulnerable children in the society, offering scholarships to children for even Islamic education, building Islamic schools, feeding the poor and even advocating peaceful negotiation and amnesty for the sect members, would be kidnapped”.
The lingering Boko Haram insurgency in some states of the North yesterday witnessed a strange trend as gunmen suspected to be members of the sect kidnapped the first Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum, Shettima Ali Monguno. The octogenarian Monguno, who was the Nigerian representative at the United Nations General Assembly, was reportedly kidnapped by four gunmen shortly after performing the Friday Muslim (Juma’at) prayers at Mafoni, a Boko Haram hot spot in Maiduguri.
An eyewitness, Malami Mansur said the foremost educationist was abducted while he was leaving the mosque for his GRA home. “Four young men appeared with guns and asked those who were with him to get out of the car, a peugeot station wagon, and they took him away,” the man said. Family members and relations had gathered at his expansive compound yesterday afternoon when the news broke out. Many wondered why Ali Monguno who has been advocating dialogue as a way of resolving the Boko Haram imbroglio suddenly became the target of the sect’s new kidnap strategy.
“It is sad and ironical. It appears like a twist in the whole insecurity issue,” a senior official of the Borno State government said. Monguno’s kidnap yesterday is believed in the security circle in the state to be an outcome of intelligence report on the insurgent group. The Joint Task Force (JTF) had last week warned of plans by Boko Haram to commence kidnap of senior government officials and rich men ostensibly to raise fund to finance its activities. “Intelligence available to the task force has indicated that Boko Haram terrorists have resolved to concentrate more on kidnapping than robbery.
They alleged that kidnapping is more lucrative, less dangerous and requires short time to plan and execute. Similarly, a special kidnapping squad has been earmarked and tasked by the sect to kidnap persons who could be wealthy relations, politicians, businessmen/women, traditional rulers, senior civil servants and foreigners alike. “The task force wishes to alert members of the public of this trend, urge all to be wary and continue to be security conscious at all times. The public are advised to avoid or be very sensitive to strangers and friends that have not been in contact for long. “Additionally, members of the public are also warned to avoid isolated areas and shun meetings or friendship organized through telephones or social media,” a JTF statement signed by Lt Col Sagir Musa had said.
Shettima had advocated an amnesty package for the Boko Haram members when President Goodluck Jonathan visited Borno early March to end the lingering insurgency in northern Nigeria. Meanwhile, a top official of the state government told Saturday Sun that Governor Shettima was “obviously shocked, emotional and disturbed on receiving news about the kidnap of elder statesman and former Minister of Petroleum, Dr Shettima Ali Monguno.
“Governor Shettima had just returned from Friday prayers himself and was scheduled to visit the Borno State Radio and Television house to inspect the station and interact with management and staff of the station to mark the World Press Freedom Day, held today (yesterday) before he cancelled the visit following the incident. A visibly worried Shettima was tearful.”
The source further said the governor wondered why “a 92-year-old man that has dedicated his life to helping orphans, poor widows and vulnerable children in the society, offering scholarships to children for even Islamic education, building Islamic schools, feeding the poor and even advocating peaceful negotiation and amnesty for the sect members, would be kidnapped”.
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