Ali’s wife still under hostage, brother and 6 others killed

Contrary to information on certain media that the wife of Vice Prime Minister, Ahmadou Ali who was kidnapped last Sunday was released, the Boko Haram terrorists still have her. Also, still being held in captivity are several other close family members of the Minister.

Even though we reported in our edition of Monday, July 28, that Amadou Ali escaped his Kolofata village at the time of the terrorist attack to Maroua, we can now correct that this was not quite the case. Ali was effectively in Maroua, capital of the Far North Region when the zealots attacked his home, village in general and his personal residence in particular.

However, we have it on good authority that Ahmadou Ali is not only sad. He is very disturbed, especially with the apparently untrue claims that his wife is back home and safe.

Consequently, though he was part of Ramadan celebrations in a Maroua prayer grounds a day after the sad incident, the man and other Muslim faithful were visibly unhappy. The Muslim faithful did not express the usual effervescence that very often characterizes such feasts. The prayer ground on Monday 28 July, instead epitomised sadness and consternation due to the odious incident that took place the day before in Kolofata, culminating in the kidnapping of 17 persons amongst whom were Vice Prime Minister’s wife, the Mayor and traditional leader of Kolofata, Dr. Seini Boukar Lamine and his family. Not to say the gruesome killing of 14 persons, amongst them seven family members of the Vice Prime Minister.

Despite his presence at the Central Mosque in Maroua, The Post learnt, Amadou Ali was rather morose, trying unsuccessfully to recover from the shock the dastardly Boko Haram had inflicted on his personal psyche and household.

According to close sources that were at his residence in Maroua, it was around 5 a.m. Sunday morning, after morning prayers, and his family was yet to settle down after the journey from Maroua, that his beautiful Kolofata residence was attacked with heavy war weapons by the Islamic insurgents.

Amadou Ali had arrived Maroua, Saturday July 27, from Yaounde, with his family, en route to Kolofata to as usual, the feast of the Ramadan in his people. At his residence in Maroua, he decided to stay back to attend to some issues while his family continued their journey.

Witnesses say when the assailants arrived, they opened fire on three military officers who were on guard, killing two of them. They proceeded to ask after the Vice Prime Minister and money. A gunfight ensued. Seven persons were killed in his residence, amongst who was Ali’s brother his cook. His wife and bodyguard were taken away.

“It is obvious that they wanted the head of the Vice Prime Minister, because the terror they caused cannot be compared to any other”, stated Amadou Bouba, a businessman who was visiting Kolofata at the time the insurgents struck.

Our sources said another group of terrorists rushed to the Mayor and traditional ruler of Kolofata, Dr. Seini Boukar, where they killed four other persons and also took away the Mayor and nine members of his family. A nurse, who unfortunately found himself in the attacked area, was also shot dead.

In the about four hours during when the heinous attack lasted, the assailants mercilessly killed 14 persons, kidnapped 17 others, wounded many amongst them military officers. They took away six vehicles, four of them belonging to the Vice Prime Minister and one Land Cruiser, property of Rapid Intervention Unit, aka BIR. Two of the assailants were killed and one seriously wounded,

Biya Sacks Military Service Chiefs

Following the incident, President Biya was quick to sign a decree, sacking at least two top military commanders in the Far North Region. One of them, Colonel Gideon Youssa, Legion Commander of the Gendarmerie was fired. He was replaced by Colonel Peterson Petsoko. Also fired was Lt. Colonel Tchanou Ngongang, Commander of the 34th Motorised Infantry Battalion.

The Post learnt that their mode of operation was at best, suspect; that they would harass and arrest residents, only setting them free after they bribed.

Also worthy of note is the fact that after Mr. Biya declared war on the killer sect from far off France, some 350 BIR elements were deployed to the Far North and spread out in strategic positions between Armchide in the Mayo and Sava Division and Fotocol in Logone and Chari.