According to Sahara repoters:
Salisu Adamu, a 3rd year chemistry
student at the University of Maiduguri, has
described himself as among thousands of
innocent Nigerians illegally arrested,
detained and tortured for more than three
years by Nigeria’s military as part of the
countermeasures against Islamist Boko
Haram militants who have waged a five-
year war in Nigeria’s northeast zone.
Continue:
Salisu Adamu, a 3rd year chemistry
student at the University of Maiduguri,
has described himself as among
thousands of innocent Nigerians illegally
arrested, detained and tortured for more than
three years by Nigeria’s military as part of the
countermeasures against Islamist Boko Haram
militants who have waged a five-year war in
Nigeria’s northeast zone.
Mr. Adamu, who hails from Biu local government
area of Borno state, said he and other detainees
were seized by the military from the Borno State
capital of Maiduguri as well as surrounding
towns plagued by Islamist insurgency. Boko
Haram, which has declared western education as
abominable, has waged a bloody fight in the
northeast in a bid to establish an Islamic state in
Nigeria.
Apart spending more than three years in
detention, Mr. Adamu became one of 39
indigenes of Borno State and three foreigners
who were handed over to the Borno State
government last Thursday after thorough
investigation by the military revealed that they
had no links to Boko Haram.
In an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters
just after his release, Mr. Adamu narrated his
experiences. Excerpts below:
I was arrested in my house in Wulari Street in
Maiduguri. I can still remember vividly that it
was 16th April 2011. I had come back from
school and had my dinner. I was sleeping when I
heard a knock on my door around 9 p.m. I asked
who was at the door. Some people said, “Open
the door!” When I opened it, I saw them [the
military]. I wondered what had happened. Then
they said I should not worry, I should come with
them, that it was just questions and answers. I
said ok, no problem! They took me to 21
Armored Brigade (Giwa Barracks). So I was there
for more than three years.
While I was in detention there, I saw many
people pass away. For me, it sometimes seemed
that it was the end of my life but I kept praying
for God’s mercy to fall upon me.
I never knew that there would be a day like this
where I would be free. I saw hell.
I feel so happy and excited. Today is the
happiest day in my life. After such a long period
of time in military detention, you should know
what one would have undergone. I saw hell, but
to be candid I also consider myself the luckiest
person because many died.
I recall March 14th of March this year when
Boko Haram attacked Giwa Barracks. It was
around 6:45 a.m. We went out to bathe and
started hearing gunshots. After our baths, we
returned to the cell. We felt it was the kind of
normal testing that the military usually does, but
the gunshots became unbearable. So I heard
loud deadly weapons. We didn't know what to do
and to say, but we started praying that God
should save us. However, the next thing we
heard was “Allahu Akbar!” meaning, “God is
Great!” So they [Boko Haram] came and opened
the cells and freed everyone, but about eight of
us managed to hide ourselves in the kitchen.
That was how we could escape Boko Haram.
Looking back to my experiences in detention for
three-and-and-a-half years, I lack words to
describe what happened. My eyes saw things
and I went through an unbearable situation, but I
thank God that I am finally free.
The next step for me is how to go back to the
University and finish my education because I was
in 300 levels when this happened.
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