
As seven abducted women and four children were being taken deeper into Sambisa forest, Aisha Bakari Gombi received a call.
The voice was familiar: an army commander asking her to assemble a group of hunters to track them down.
The seven had vanished earlier that day after a group of Boko Haram militants attacked their village, Daggu. Three local people were shot dead and cars, houses and food stores set ablaze.
Daggu is a half-hour drive from Chibok where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted in April 2014. Both villages are in the region of Borno state in north-eastern Nigeria, which has become all too familiar with such attacks by the world’s deadliest terrorist group.
Bakari Gombi grew up near the Sambisa forest, where the extremists still operate despite a military offensive last year that destroyed many of their major camps. She used to hunt antelopes, baboons and guinea fowl with her grandfather. Now she hunts Boko Haram.
There are thousands of hunters in the region who have been enlisted by the military on an ad hoc basis. But Bakari Gombi is one of only a handful of women involved and she has become a heroine for hunters and local people alike. Her gallantry has won her the title “queen hunter”.
The first rescue mission in Daggu failed “because Boko Haram was heavily armed. But we saw where [the girls] are being held,” Bakari Gombi explains the morning after. “We could free them if the military would give us better weapons,” she adds, eyeing the double-barrel shotgun on her lap.
Like many in the rural regions of north-east Nigeria, Bakari Gombi is Muslim but also believes in traditional spirits. One of her rituals is to douse fellow hunters with a secret potion to protect them from bullets.
The 38-year-old leads a command of men aged 15-30 who communicate using sign language, animal sounds and even birdsong.
“Boko Haram know me and fear me,” says Bakari Gombi whose band of hunters has rescued hundreds of men, women and children.
The Nigerian army began recruiting women in 2011 and, while the numbers remain low nationwide, in this region some women have very personal reasons for joining the counterinsurgency. One of those is Hamsat Hassan, whose sister was kidnapped by Boko Haram two years ago. She has not been seen since.
“I couldn’t fire a gun when I asked to join the Hunters’ Association in a town also called Gombi, but all I knew was that I wanted to avenge the people who abducted my sister,” she says.
Hassan’s grandparents look after her seven children so she is available to hunt whenever her services are called on.
While most of the group are volunteers who juggle their commitments with other jobs, Bakari Gombi and Hassan are among the 228 male and female hunters who were recruited on a more formal basis last year by a local government official.
But by October the 10,000 naira (£25) allowances paid to the hunters had stopped. Two months later most of the team had pulled out of the programme, though some, including Bakari Gombi and Hassan, remained committed to the fight. Bukar Jimeta, the commander of the Gombi Hunters’ Association, says though Boko Haram is regrouping in the surrounding areas, the collapse of the programme and lack of funds have left them unable to tackle the growing threat. The hunters are not the only ones experiencing financial difficulty. In December a group of Nigerian soldiers uploaded a video to YouTube in which they appealed for equipment, food and water.The army also faces a corruption scandal at the highest level. The former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, is due to stand trial for allegedly stealing £1.8bn allocated for weapons to fight Boko Haram.The hunters believe their tracking skills are vital to the army’s counterinsurgency efforts, no matter how under-resourced they may be.
“I’m waiting for a call authorising me to go back to rescue those women and children from Daggu, but I don’t know if they will give us more arms,” says Bakari Gombi.
Whether or not she receives the weapons she requires, she vows that her mission to root out Boko Haram from the forest in which she grew up will continue.
I am the business owner of JustCBD label (justcbdstore.com) and I am currently trying to broaden my wholesale side of business. It would be great if someone at targetdomain share some guidance ! I thought that the very best way to accomplish this would be to connect to vape stores and cbd stores. I was hoping if anybody at all could recommend a qualified web site where I can buy Vape Shop Business Mailing List I am already examining creativebeartech.com, theeliquidboutique.co.uk and wowitloveithaveit.com. Not sure which one would be the very best solution and would appreciate any support on this. Or would it be easier for me to scrape my own leads? Ideas?
Если у ООО нет денег на погашения долгов знайте ликвидация ООО — процесс долгий и непростой
I enjoy reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for permitting me to comment!
Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this informative article together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
I like it when folks come together and share thoughts. Great blog, stick with it!
Good web site you have here.. It’s hard to find quality writing like yours nowadays. I seriously appreciate people like you! Take care!!
Pretty! This has been an incredibly wonderful article. Many thanks for supplying this info.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this website. I am hoping to see the same high-grade blog posts by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my very own site now 😉
Hi, I do think this is an excellent web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may come back once again since i have book marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It will always be interesting to read through articles from other writers and use a little something from other websites.
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Many thanks, However I am having issues with your RSS. I don’t know why I cannot subscribe to it. Is there anybody else having similar RSS problems? Anyone that knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanks!!
I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this site. I really hope to check out the same high-grade content from you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my own, personal website now 😉
I used to be able to find good information from your content.
I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this blog. I really hope to check out the same high-grade blog posts by you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own website now 😉
Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve visited this website before but after browsing through some of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely pleased I stumbled upon it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly!
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this article and the rest of the website is very good.
When I initially left a comment I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I recieve four emails with the exact same comment. There has to be a means you can remove me from that service? Appreciate it!
I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you saved as a favorite to look at new things you post…
I really like it whenever people get together and share ideas. Great website, keep it up!
Next time I read a blog, Hopefully it does not disappoint me as much as this one. After all, I know it was my choice to read, nonetheless I genuinely believed you’d have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something you can fix if you were not too busy looking for attention.
This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me. Kudos!
You have made some decent points there. I checked on the net to learn more about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this site.
Having read this I believed it was rather informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this information together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a friend who has been conducting a little homework on this. And he in fact ordered me dinner because I stumbled upon it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this issue here on your site.
I need to to thank you for this wonderful read!! I absolutely enjoyed every little bit of it. I have you book marked to check out new things you post…
Good post! We are linking to this great content on our site. Keep up the great writing.
Your style is unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this page.
Having read this I believed it was really enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this content together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
An intriguing discussion is definitely worth comment. I believe that you should write more about this topic, it might not be a taboo matter but typically people don’t talk about these topics. To the next! All the best!!
The very next time I read a blog, Hopefully it doesn’t disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read through, however I genuinely believed you would have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you can fix if you weren’t too busy searching for attention.
You have made some good points there. I looked on the internet for additional information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this site.
You made some really good points there. I looked on the internet to find out more about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this site.
Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful article. Many thanks for providing these details.
After going over a number of the articles on your blog, I truly like your way of writing a blog. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back in the near future. Please check out my web site as well and tell me what you think.
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve visited this web site before but after going through some of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m certainly delighted I stumbled upon it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often!
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you, However I am having troubles with your RSS. I don’t understand why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anybody having similar RSS problems? Anyone that knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanx!!
I’m amazed, I must say. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and interesting, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something too few men and women are speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy that I came across this during my hunt for something concerning this.
This is a topic which is near to my heart… Many thanks! Where are your contact details though?
This excellent website truly has all of the info I needed about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
This site was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something which helped me. Many thanks!
I blog quite often and I genuinely thank you for your information. This article has truly peaked my interest. I’m going to take a note of your site and keep checking for new information about once per week. I subscribed to your RSS feed as well.
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always helpful to read through articles from other writers and practice a little something from other sites.
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this article and also the rest of the site is also very good.
Hi, I do think this is a great blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I’m going to return once again since i have saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.
I blog frequently and I genuinely thank you for your content. This article has truly peaked my interest. I am going to bookmark your website and keep checking for new information about once per week. I opted in for your Feed as well.
Spot on with this write-up, I truly think this website needs far more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the information!
Everything is very open with a clear explanation of the challenges. It was definitely informative. Your website is very useful. Many thanks for sharing!
There’s certainly a lot to know about this subject. I like all of the points you’ve made.
Hey there! I simply would like to offer you a huge thumbs up for your excellent info you have got here on this post. I am coming back to your website for more soon.
Hi, I do think this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I am going to return once again since I saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.
I blog quite often and I truly thank you for your content. This great article has really peaked my interest. I’m going to take a note of your blog and keep checking for new details about once a week. I opted in for your Feed too.
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this write-up and also the rest of the website is very good.
I like it whenever people get together and share ideas. Great website, keep it up!|
I’m impressed, I must say. Rarely do I encounter a blog that’s equally educative and engaging, and without a doubt, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The issue is something which too few people are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy I found this in my hunt for something relating to this.
This site truly has all the information and facts I needed concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Very good write-up. I definitely love this website. Keep writing!
You have made some really good points there. I checked on the internet for more information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this web site.
I like reading through a post that will make men and women think. Also, thanks for allowing for me to comment!
This website certainly has all the info I wanted concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Can I just say what a relief to uncover somebody who truly knows what they’re discussing on the web. You actually understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people really need to read this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you’re not more popular given that you most certainly possess the gift.
Spot on with this write-up, I really think this website needs a lot more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read through more, thanks for the info!
A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment. There’s no doubt that that you should write more on this subject, it might not be a taboo subject but usually people do not talk about such issues. To the next! All the best!!
I am really impressed with your writing skills and also with the structure on your blog. Is that this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Anyway stay up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to peer a great weblog like this one these days..|
A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment. I do believe that you need to publish more about this topic, it might not be a taboo matter but typically people do not discuss these subjects. To the next! All the best!!
Hi, I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will come back yet again since i have book-marked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.
Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme of this blog. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very difficult to get that “perfect balance” between superb usability and visual appearance. I must say you’ve done a awesome job with this. In addition, the blog loads super quick for me on Opera. Excellent Blog!|
May I simply just say what a relief to discover somebody that truly knows what they’re talking about on the internet. You certainly understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people must look at this and understand this side of your story. I can’t believe you aren’t more popular since you definitely have the gift.
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Perfectly written!
After looking into a few of the blog articles on your web page, I seriously appreciate your way of blogging. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back in the near future. Please check out my website too and tell me your opinion.
I always emailed this website post page to all my contacts, for the reason that if like to read it next my friends will too.|