How Boko Haram Captured Mubi

Some fleeing residents of Mubi, Adamawa State’s second largest town, recounted yesterday how it was taken by Boko Haram fighters.

According to Abubakar Idi, a resident now in hiding, Boko Haram insurgents divided themselves into four groups and headed for Uba where soldiers were stationed. When the news broke that the group was headed for Uba, about three kilometres away, soldiers rushed out of the town.

According to Abubakar, this took place at about 4am. The presence of a large number of soldiers in Mubi that early morning alerted the people that something was amiss.

Boko Haram moved in splinter groups at about 6am to attack Mubi town from Mararaban Mubi, which is four kilometres to the main Mubi motor park. Another group came through Vimtim, after the home town of Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh fell into their hands. Vimtim is 5km to Mubi from the North towards Bazza.

Abubakar said another group came out of the road that led to the Republic of Cameroon at Gidin Tsamiya.

They swooped on defenceless residents at about 8am. There was confusion as all military personnel in Mubi had rushed out of the town towards Maiha to Yola.

Another eyewitness, Hajiya Fatima, 32, said: “My husband was in Yola working. He called me that they learnt of the Uba incident. So I should leave Mubi.”

“When I came out of my house at about 9am, I saw many people rushing out of Mubi and as I was about calling my husband, some strange youths came into our house and they asked me if I wanted to run too. I said yes; then the boys said anybody who wanted to go could go, but at night they would carry out their duties.”

Hajiya Fatima went on: “That statement alarmed me and I moved out of the town. At that point, many women, children, old men and youths were running from all directions. It was so pitiful that no one could make any efforts at saving the town. It was terrible. Only God knows what happened and why the police left the people behind.”

Mr. Innocent Yauba, who lives after the post office in Angwan Lokuwa,  said he saw hell before getting out of Mubi. He said when the soldiers got wind of the situation, they did not inform the people.

“The youth were prepared to defend themselves against Boko Haram, but the security men simply,  left the town and this situation made the multi billion naira economy of Mubi an easy prey. Boko Haram went to the huge Mubi International Market, searching for foodstuff, goods and money.”

He said the foreign currency exchange section was most hit because the market was on when they came and surrounded the place. They carted everything into trucks and all the goods were taken to the palace of the Emir as they came back after each delivery at the palace.

Mr. Yauba said: “Mubi was so easily taken by a band of ragtag youths masquerading as Boko Haram fighters when able bodied youths of the town, if supported by the military, could have overrun them and sadly the security men allowed a buoyant town like Mubi to be taken like a dead chicken”.