Gangs of youths – known as Wula Wulas – operating in the northern part of Borno State are terrorising residents, threatening them with guns, beating women and the have even killed community members if they try to stop them from looting and stealing anything of value.
Residents say they are frightened because the Wula Wulas can be as violent as the members of the two main extremist groups in the area, the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS), more commonly referred to as Boko Haram, and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
A Magumeri resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told RNI that the youths carried guns. “They act and treat us as if they were insurgents. They can be brutal at times and have killed some residents. We are terrified of them. Since 2009 we have been in constant conflict with Boko Haram and ISWAP. Now we have to deal with these gangs as well.”
The name Wula Wula is a Kanuri Word meaning “heist”.
“Unlike the ISWAP and the JAS, when the Wula Wulas attack a village they don’t waste any time. They take what they want, usually the most valuable items, as quickly as possible and leave. They are scared of being caught.”
Residents said the Wula Wulas looked like normal people so it was difficult to distinguish them from anyone else.
“They normally wear jeans and a dark shirt, not military uniforms or camouflage outfits like the JAS and ISWAP members. They usually attack at night. No one knows if they are working with the real insurgents. For all we know, they could be.”
One resident said: “They usually cover their heads and faces with scarfs; you see only their eyes. They look dirty and they all carry guns. They will stop at nothing to get what they want. They have killed ordinary people because they refused to give them their animals and other items of worth.”
Mala Bunu, a Magumeri resident, said the gangs took food, cows, donkeys and horses.
“They take what they want. They have stolen cars and have even stolen women’s slippers and children’s potties. Unlike before when you could buy many animals in northern Borno, you can hardly find any in the region now.”
Buna said the gangs normally struck in the early hours, about 3am to 4am, when they were less likely to be confronted by security and military personnel or members of the citizen joint task force.
He said the Borno State government had tried to address the issue of insecurity in the area by sending more soldiers and security staff.
“While the extra security staff were here, there were fewer, if any, attacks by the Wula Wulas. It was quiet and we all felt a little safer. But when the operation came to an end and there were fewer security people and soldiers, the Wula Wulas resurfaced,” Buna said, adding that there had been at least three attacks in the past two weeks.
“We need more security. The Borno State government has to come to our aid. We do not have any other place to go. It’s as if we’ve been left stranded. The government doesn’t seem to care about what’s happening to us.”
