The recent bombing of the popular motor park in Azare town in Bauchi State appears to open a new chapter to the Boko Haram bombing regime following a lull in the suicide bombing activities outside Borno and Adamawa States. Information available to 247ureports.com from knowledgeable sources inside Bauchi State point to a tangled conspiracy involving the new Inspector General of Police and a select crop of northern elites including the former secretary to the federal government [SGF] during the late Yar’Adua administration – who have adopted the use of Boko Haram as a tool to settle political scores and/or harass political opponents.
According to available information, the Wednesday attack at Azare was not without historical backgrounds. The Decembers of 2011 and 2012 saw bomb and gun attacks from members of the Jihadist group against the town of Azare. Following the attacks, the residents of Azare were said to have mobilized themselves against the Jihadist group. They formed a civilian vigilante group. The formation of the group happened following the attack when prominent personalities of Azare were assassinated in a coordinated attack in 2011. The vigilante men, according to the intelligence community, were able to organize themselves through the help of the former DPO.
So much so that when the Jihadist bunch attempted another attack on the town of Azare in December of 2012, they meet a stiff resistance that resulted to the death of one of their most priced fighters – Khalid – who was said to have trained in East Africa as an expert sniper. The entire members of Boko Haram who had come to Azare to attack the town, according to sources, were killed by the vigilante group. The vigilante lost seven [7] men.
The Boko Haram group were said to have never forgotten or forgiven treatment meted to them in Azare. It is believed that they have since planned a revenge attack on the town. It is not certain if Wednesday’s attack was the start of the revenge attack.
What is certain is the sudden and suspicious removal of the DPO away from Azare. According to impeccable sources, the former SGF, Alhaji Yayale who served under the late Yar’Adua administration, for reasons that have yet to reach the public terrain, impressed upon the new IGP to remove the DPO and to transfer him away from Azare. DPO is reported to have played the critical role in rebuffing the activities of the Boko Haram in Azare and neighboring communities. He was said to have aided the vigilante group in organizing a structured security outfit capable of fighting he Boo Haram. He was said to have taught the vigilante men to respond to distress calls in large numbers at once – to overpower the enemy. According to a community source who spoke to 247ureports.com, the system worked against Boko Haram. The source adds “he was really working hard to cleanse the town of rogues and all criminal elements”.
According to our source, a police officer by thename – Maigari stationed at Azare was said to have filed a petition to the former SGF against the DPO – citing that the DPO had been “abusing and disrespecting” him [Yayale]. In reaction, Yayale impressed on the new IGP to remove the DPO. The new IGP obliged. His removal was quick.
With only weeks after the DPO’s removal, another explosion hit Azare.
According to eyewitness accounts, the would-be suicide bomber had arrived the motor park in the evening of Wednesday. He seem odd and restless. He was alone and carried a bag. As nightfall came, the park authorities began their routine activities of closing up the park for the end of business day. The would-be suicide bomber was approached by the park authorities who inquired of him what he was still doing inside the park. He responded in fluent Hausa language that he was on transit – that he wants to board a vehicle going east [the direction of Borno]. But the park authorities responded that it was too late to board a vehicle heading east. The would-be suicide bomber then left the area – and began working around in no particular direction. He seemed confused and his body was soaked in what seemed like sweat. Eyewitnesses state the bomber was in his mid-20s slender and average height.
While he walked around near a tea seller [mai shayi], his suspicious movements were noticed by some of the youths nearby. The youths, according to the eyewitness who spoke to 247ureports.com, began to attentively monitor the would-be suicide bomber. The would-be suicide bomber, in turn, noticed that he was being monitored. When the monitoring youths could no longer sitting and watch the would-be bomber walk around in a highly suspicious manner, decided to take action, the would-be bomber, detonated the bomb – killing about five [5] people and injuring over twenty [20]. The bomb was carried inside the bag he was carrying. It was not strapped up on his body – like other suicide bombers.
On Thursday morning, two bodies out of the five were buried – bodies of Abdullahi Babayo Mustapha and Aminu Yusuf Bille were buried – according to Islamic rites.
