Stranded Boko Haram militants turn human eaters

Dozens of suspected Boko Haram militants
in Magumeri forest, Borno, have turned to
human eaters after being stranded for days
without food or water, News Agency of
Nigeria reports.
Magumeri forest is about 150km from
Maiduguri, the state capital.
A suspected militant, Mallam Momodu Bukar,
told journalists on Saturday in Maiduguri
that he fled the camp at the forest on
Thursday when it became obvious that he
was going to be eaten.
"I thank God that I escaped because I would
have been slaughtered by now to provide
meal for my colleagues at the camp," Bukar
said.
The suspected militant was captured by a
youth vigilante group, popularly known as
the civilian JTF at Baga Road motor park,
Maiduguri, on Friday.
He said the militants had been in the forest
since May, when they were dislodged from
Marte, Marte Local Government Area, by the
Joint Task Force on Operation Restore Order
after the declaration of the state of
emergency.
"Our group, consisting of about 300 well-
armed combatants, headed for Magumeri on
the orders of the sect leader, Abubakar
Shekau, shortly before the military took over
Marte Camp.
"We have been wandering in the forest. We
have exhausted our food and water supply,
and so, everybody became hungry,'' Bukar
said.
He also said they lost contact with Shekau
due to the closure of GSM services by the
Defence Headquarters.
He said, "It all started last Monday when
three of the combatants in camp died of
acute hunger, and it became obvious that all
of us will die if action was not taken. The
leader of the group, Abu Omar, directed that
a non-combatant member be slaughtered to
provide meal for the rest.
"The meat provided meal for the combatant
for just two days and another person was
killed in the same manner on Wednesday.
So, it became certain that I might be the
next person since I am also a non-
combatant member.''
Bukar said he escaped after volunteering to
help search for drinking water for the group
in a nearby village.
"I left the camp on Thursday evening after
agreeing to fetch water from the village.
After leaving the camp, I started running
until I arrived at Magumeri town, so, I slept
in the motor park before boarding a vehicle
to Maiduguri with the little money on me.''
he said.
Bukar said he was apprehended
immediately he arrived at the motor park in
Maiduguri by the youth vigilante group.
Commenting, an official of the vigilante
group, Mallam Ajid Asheik, said the suspect
would be handed to the Joint Task Force on
Operation Restore Order for investigation.