Former Boko Haram commander Rawana Goni
Ex-Boko Haram Commander Rawana Goni needs the Nigerian army to permit him contact the group’s chief, Abubakar Shekau, to make him give up.
Goni, it was discovered, is present process rehabilitation at a army detention camp in Maiduguri.
He surrendered to the army in Cameroon after escaping from Sambisa forest eight months in the past.
The former commander, who claimed to have held a number of positions in ten totally different cells of Boko Haram in Sambisa, revealed that many militants got here to him to settle issues.
“I rescued people sentenced to death and minimised punishment of those who committed crimes. I am one of the most influential persons in the group and they always listened and abided by what I said,” he informed the News Agency of Nigeria.
“I joined Boko Haram due to the situation I discovered myself within the final 5 years. When the insurgents invaded Bama city, I ran with my household to Cameroon considering I used to be in a secure vacation spot. But on reaching Cameroon, I used to be shocked to grasp that I introduced myself into one other Boko Haram camp. By that point, I knew I might not survive with out becoming a member of the group.
“Days after my induction, we opened a permanent camp at the Cameroon border and named the forest “Aluska”. It was in that camp that I learnt all forms of trainings together with dealing with weapons.
“After the coaching, we launched into our first mission. We invaded a army formation in Cameroon, dislodged the troopers and took many weapons from their armoury. We couldn’t take any automobile as a result of the realm was surrounded by river.
“We took the weapons we recovered to our chief Abubakar Shekau and briefed him on our success. He was blissful that 5 of us may dislodge a army formation. After congratulating us, he appointed me to guide the group and returned our weapons to us.
“Few days later, I recruited many fighters, as a result of as a commander, you're anticipated to haven't any fewer than 250 preventing troops.
“With the brand new preventing pressure, we invaded Waza village, Damaga and Banki. We additionally invaded Bama which is my hometown.
“I used to be touched to see my folks being tortured and killed, whereas many ladies and youngsters have been dwelling in excruciating hardship. So I made a decision to cross a message to my fellow insurgents from Bama and we shaped a group comprising of about 137 individuals to assist our folks in jail to flee.
“I used to be in a position to rescue about 300 hostages on the jail facility in Bama. I often lied to the guards on the jail that I used to be going to kill the inmates. But I might take them to a secure place in Konduga and ask them to run to a safer vacation spot.
“Many of the prisoners were exposed to hard labour while some were used as guinea-pigs at shooting range by new arms handlers among Boko Haram,” he mentioned.
On Abubakar Shekau’s well being standing, Goni informed that the insurgents’ chief was wholesome as towards a report that he was ailing.
“Nothing happened to him. He broke his leg five years ago while riding on a horse. But he had since recovered. Any one saying Shekau is sick is only deceiving himself. We used to communicate through radiophone but not any more,” he mentioned.
Goni who believed that the warfare was coming to an finish, urged the army to let him inform Shekau and different insurgents that he's nonetheless alive.
“My 137 boys are on standby to hear I am still alive and I can assure you they will run out of Sambisa Forest and surrender to the military. I once told them to surrender and they said we shall all get killed. But I told them that I will surrender and they said if nothing happened to me, they will all come out,” he mentioned.