Borno residents on the edge, tiptoeing on active landmines, IEDs

The prevalence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the North-East is a deadly legacy of the 14-year-old insurgency that has ravaged the zone. In Borno State, explosive remnants pose a threat to residents’ existence, creating an atmosphere of fear, heightened uncertainty, and worsening insecurity, thereby disrupting ongoing resettlement efforts. Additionally, it has hindered economic activities, disrupted the daily lives of residents, and impeded efforts to restore peace and stability. As schools, roads, farmlands, and even military operations remain unsafe, ENO-ABASI SUNDAY writes that residents and stakeholders are yearning for a safe Borno to rebuild their lives. They also say that a multi-pronged approach and international collaboration can make the place safe, even as some question government forces’ failure to provide civilians access to in-depth IED training. 

Adolphus Onyeama, an agriculture produce buyer resident in Borno State, has had several close shaves with death in the last 14 years. The Enugu State-born businessman has lived in the North for 26 years.

Before the advent of the Boko Haram insurgency, after which their more lethal cousins, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Jamatul ahlis Sunna lil Dawatil Wal Jihad joined the party, he recalled that the state was “a beautiful place to dwell in. The State’s motto is “Home of Peace”. Sadly, things have changed so much that close shaves with death are now normal occurrences.

“In the course of business trips across the state, and states in the North-East including, Gombe, and Yobe among others, we’ve run into insurgents while either wasting human lives, looting shops, or engaging the military in gun duels. But kudos to the military for helping to achieve a semblance of sanity.

“However, as the way begins to look like we are nearing the ‘end’, the rise in the number of deaths resulting from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and landmines, I must accept, is a new source of worry,” Onyeama told The Guardian.

“It is disheartening that with the insurgents having been either chased away or decimated, bombs planted by them have simply ensured that the stench of death is not far away from us with IEDs exploding everywhere. But we will still go past this phase,” he enthused.

Like many other residents of Borno State, Bana Shettima, a farmer and fisherman is worn out by the activities of insurgents, which has left several scars on residents of the state, and contributed to their financial emasculation, as well as, made thousands of them to take up residence in Internally Displaced Peoples’ (IDPs) camps, while their traditional homesteads remain desolate.

“Most of our people have run into the Niger Republic because of what is happening in Borno State. This mass movement has driven up the level of intermarriages between Nigerians and Nigeriens, and many Nigerian businessmen and traders have settled down to do thriving businesses in Niger.

“While the Federal Government is trying its best to bring peace to the state by way of smoking out the remaining insurgents, a lot of attention should be paid to landmines and improvised explosive devices planted, or left behind by fleeing insurgents because they appear to be just about everywhere. From Abadam to Damasak, Kuzamala to Kukawa up to Marte, there is a need for the government to make the place safe for residents and IDPs that are returning to rebuild their lives,” Shettima, who is from Maiduguri, advised, adding that conflict-weary residents of the state cannot wait for the government to end the siege brought upon them by insurgent groups.

Without a doubt, the proliferation of unexploded ordnance/IEDs planted by insurgents, which is now cutting short the lives of military personnel, aid workers, civilian joint task force members, and locals constitutes a major source of concern, especially at a time that efforts by the state government to close refugee camps and return displaced locals to their forlorn homesteads in phases enters a higher gear.

Put differently, mirrors the multi-dimensional harm done by IEDs and sundry explosive remnants like the rising number of deaths involving the military, the civilian population, as well as terrorists in Borno State, and in other trouble spots in the North East, where terrorism still holds sway.

As far back as 2019, terrorists lost their lives when the vehicle they were commuting in stepped on IEDs, which they planted for troops in Lamba’a Forest along Jakana-Mainok Road, in Borno State.

Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, then Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, who made the disclosure, informed that seven terrorists died in the incident, while eight others were crippled in that incident.

“The incident was a clear case of what can be best described as a tactical boomerang as a Toyota Sam Sahara model belonging to the terrorists, stepped on an IED that they planted against troops in the area,’’ Iliyasu said.

Five years after that “tactical boomerang” at Lamba’a forest, an IED exploded in Gubio, at about 2.00 p.m., on Saturday, January 27, this year, claiming the lives of six children, as the incident happened near a local Islamic school.

The explosion happened after a metal scrap collector accidentally picked up and lodged in between his collection, an IED, which exploded and killed the innocent children.

Only a few days after the six Almajiri children lost their lives in Gubio, 13 farmers reportedly lost their lives in another blast along the Pulka/Firgi Road, in Gwoza Local Council. That incident further exposed the heinous tactics deployed by insurgents to make life difficult for residents of the area, drive fear into them, and cause trepidation among military personnel.

It was this proliferation of UXO in Borno State, and the latent dangers posed by undetected explosives that forced Governor Babagana Zulum to, in July 2023, ban metal scavenging since the scavengers could not detect lurking danger as was the case in Gubio, last January.

Marte is 150 kilometres from Maiduguri the state capital, while Ngala, is 153 kilometres from the capital. These two local councils are economically strategic to Borno State and the Federal Government because of sizeable trans-border commercial activities along that route.

But major roads leading to these local councils have not only depreciated, but have become easy traps for commuters and other users by Boko Haram terrorists, and sundry outlaws, who find joy in planting explosives on them.

Multiple explosions along Maiduguri-Dikwa-Marte-Ngala roads have also led to the death of security operatives, humanitarian workers and farmers recently.

There are growing fears that labourers in Koibe Community, in Dikwa Local Council, are being targeted by the insurgents after two IEDs detonated in Koibe Primary School, on Monday, February 26, killing two labourers who were working there, and also inflicting injuries on five others. In the second incident on the outskirts of Koibe, an IED was also detonated at a construction site, but no labourers were around. However, eight cattle that were roaming close by were killed, with one of the cattle believed to have stood on the IED, causing it to detonate.

Personnel of the Nigerian Army recovering IEDs, bomb-making devices in Borno State.

Painting a portrait of IEDs-induced deaths in the zone, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in its latest situation report, admitted a spike in IED incidents in the North-East.

Titled, “Humanitarian partners report a spike in improvised explosive device incidents in North East Nigeria,” the document released last February quoted the United Nations Mine Action Services (UNMAS) as admitting that “the number of IED incidents in January 2024 across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states is the highest in the past two years. The UNMAS records show that 43 IED incidents killed 65 people, including eight children, and injured 55 others across the BAY states in January 2024.

“In 2023 alone, UNMAS recorded 132 deaths and 163 injuries from 326 explosive ordnance incidents in North East Nigeria. The number of verified IED incidents has been increasing since October 2023. Explosive Remnants War (ERWs) from 14 years of conflict in North East Nigeria continue to pose a threat to the lives and livelihoods of people, as well as aid workers. It is also among the obstacles to the safe and durable return of IDPs and refugees in the BAY states.”

Revving up efforts to stem IEDs-induced deaths
THE incessant landmine explosions in parts of the North have continued to attract international attention as reflected in the January 2024 Mines Advisory Group (MAG) statement on the issue.

The statement from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Darren Cormack, after a landmine explosion near Ngala, on 10 January, read: “I’m very saddened to hear of a landmine explosion that recently claimed eight lives near Ngala.

“Since 2019, the group has reached over 26,000 people with life-saving messages in Ngala through more than 1,300 in-person risk education sessions, as well as complemented its sessions with radio and digital outreach. This year, it aims to integrate them into schools’ curriculums.”

The statement explained that in response to the Ngala explosion, “MAG has launched an emergency Digital Explosive Ordnance Risk Education campaign via social media to get practical safety advice to people in the area,” adding, “This recent news is a tragic reminder of the deadly legacy of conflict that continues to plague the lives of so many.

“That is why MAG continues to advocate for victims, survivors and communities around the world and remains committed to working towards a world free of landmines,” the statement added.

Worried by the challenge faced by the region, the North East Development Commission (NEDC), as part of efforts to mitigate this security threat, carried out a Mine Risk Awareness Training exercise where 540 liaison officers were equipped with the means of informing their communities of the dangers that landmines and other explosive remnants pose to their existence.

Efforts have also not been spared by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations Mine Action Service, and sundry international groups in rousing the locals to the need to play their parts in stemming the significant dangers posed by uncleared UXO.

Furthermore, with mushrooming IEDs, individuals who escape death after encountering them are at risk of sustaining severe injuries, including loss of limbs, hearing impairment, and other debilitating conditions. This notwithstanding, the physical and psychological impact of such injuries can be long-lasting and profound.

Beyond the pervasive threat of these IEDs leading to widespread psychological trauma among residents, particularly children, who may live in constant fear of encountering these deadly devices, there are also long-term effects on the mental health and wellbeing of locals.

Doing an overview of the threat posed by IEDs and other explosive devices in Borno State, a security expert and the Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, Dr Kabir Adamu, insisted that “the threat posed by IEDs remains significant due to the presence of non-state armed groups like Jamatul ahlis Sunna lil Dawatil Wal Jihad, and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), who use IEDs as attack vectors. These groups have demonstrated a sophisticated capability in manufacturing and deploying IEDs as part of their asymmetric warfare tactics. The threat extends beyond military targets, including civilian populations, infrastructure, and humanitarian aid workers. The widespread use of IEDs has resulted in numerous casualties, displacement, and humanitarian crises, posing challenges to efforts aimed at stabilisation and recovery in the region.

Addressing this threat, he said, “requires a holistic approach that combines military operations with community engagement, socio-economic development, and international cooperation to mitigate the impact of explosive ordnance on civilian populations and facilitate lasting peace and security.”
Resurgence of explosions exacerbates humanitarian efforts

THE presence of explosive remnants in an area creates an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, and insecurity, which can disrupt the daily lives of residents, hinder economic activities, and impede efforts to restore peace and stability in the region. The threat posed by them can exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation in places like Borno State, and also hinder humanitarian aid delivery, displacement efforts, and access to essential services, further compounding the sufferings of vulnerable populations. This ultimately makes efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate conflict-affected areas go to waste.

This much was attested to recently when Governor Zulum, while reacting to the surge in explosion of landmines described it as renewed attempts to frustrate the rebuilding of destroyed communities and resettle internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes.

Zulum, who was touring communities, in Dikwa, Marte, and Ngala local councils, said that his government is leaving no stone unturned in finding the conspirators from within the government and locals for appropriate sanctions.

The governor, who visited and addressed the army brigade in New Marte after the landmine explosion involving army personnel, inspected destroyed communities in Marte with the view to rebuilding them, and resettling the IDPs.

He also resettled 500 households while assuring the people that his administration will not only resettle the IDPs but will also provide agricultural facilities to boost irrigation farming and other agricultural value chain activities.

Residents want end to insurgency-related deaths, economic emasculation
Many residents of the state, including media practitioner, Al’Amin Umar Marte, urgently seek “an end to insurgency-related deaths and the economic stagnation caused by the disruption of essential services and socio-economic activities due to landmines and UXOs.

“Even though efforts to educate residents about the dangers of IEDs have been somewhat successful,” Marte admits, “more comprehensive strategies are needed to curb the rising menace, including community engagement, enhanced security measures, and targeted awareness campaigns, especially since the resurgence of IED explosions jeopardises the safety of returning internally displaced persons (IDPs), and slows down reconstruction and resettlement efforts while resources are diverted to address the ongoing security threats.

Janada M. Gadzama, a Mass Communication student at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) is satisfied but is of the view that the prevalence of unexploded ordnance is life-threatening and dangerous in all ramifications.

While emphasising that “worrisome” scenario, Gadzama still believes that “more can be done. Training community volunteers as facilitators in local councils, will help in creating more awareness about the IEDs and help get rid of the state of it through active reporting mechanisms.”

The undergraduate regretted that what is happening in the state is slowing down the return to normal life, while the destruction of lives and property injects fear in the hearts of residents. “Residents, therefore, want an urgent end to insurgency to boost their economic Independence and mental health.

Mixed reaction trails IED mitigation efforts                    
AS far as Marte, an indigene of Marte Local Council is concerned, “the Federal Government’s efforts to rid Borno State and other affected states of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) have been inadequate, leaving many of us dissatisfied and vulnerable to attacks.

“Also, the prevalence of unexploded ordnances (UXOs) has had a devastating impact on the military, residents, and aid workers in the North East, disrupting their daily lives, and hindering reconstruction efforts. The recent landmine explosion involving army personnel and civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) members is deeply concerning, just as it further complicates rebuilding and rehabilitation efforts and highlights the urgent need for better security measures.”

Dr Adamu on his part said that while some “commend government initiatives, acknowledge military operations, counter-terrorism strategies, and security forces’ capacity-building investments and partnerships with stakeholders in the humanitarian community whose specific mandates are to support the Federal Government’s efforts in this regard,” those that express dissatisfaction, “point to ongoing security challenges and persistent IED attacks, highlighting the need for improved results.

Multi-pronged approach, international collaboration
ADAMU, who is of the view that a multi-pronged approach and international collaboration can create a more secure environment for residents of Borno State, stressed that an international collaboration, which ensures a partnership between the government and NGOs specialising in mine risk education and armed violence reduction will be highly beneficial. Optimising existing resources, maximising the effectiveness of current capacity-building programmes, and improving mine risk education, he said are highly beneficial steps.

The Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited boss said that the “recent landmine explosion involving army personnel and civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) members, as well as labourers working on an IDP resettlement site in Borno State is undoubtedly worrisome for several reasons. Firstly, it adds to the grim statistics of IED-related deaths, highlighting the persistent threat posed by these devices.

“Secondly, such incidents result in casualties and impede efforts towards rebuilding and rehabilitating affected communities. They create fear and instability, hindering socio-economic development and the return to normalcy. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach, combining security measures with humanitarian assistance and community engagement to ensure sustainable peace and stability… It also underscores a deliberate tactic employed by insurgent groups to hinder reconstruction and resettlement efforts.”

Apart from landmines and attacks on military personnel serving dual purposes of disrupting infrastructure renewal and intimidating civilians, Adamu stressed, “By targeting security forces, insurgents aim to instil fear within the civilian population, ultimately discouraging their participation in resettlement programmes. This disrupts the government’s efforts to stabilise the region.

Calls for community volunteers, EORE training
FOR Adamu, the managing director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, engaging communities through the training of volunteers by Explosive Ordnance Resistance Education (EORE) instructors, as facilitators in their local councils could significantly contribute to mitigating the dire situation. These volunteers, equipped with knowledge about identifying and reporting suspicious activities or devices, can serve as force multipliers in enhancing security at the grassroots level.

“Additionally, community involvement fosters trust and cooperation between civilians and security forces, facilitating intelligence gathering and targeted operations against organised armed groups,” he stated.

While regretting that government security forces currently restrict access to comprehensive IED training for civilians, he explained that the primary focus for civilians lies in Mine Risk Education (MRE). “On the other hand, comprehensive IED training would delve into the technical aspects of these devices, including their construction and potential methods of disarmament.”

However, also giving perspectives on government forces’ failure to provide civilians access to in-depth IED training, he said that the concerns may include mitigating the risk of knowledge falling into the wrong hands and protecting sensitive information about IEDs used by security forces.

To curb the rising menace of IEDs and other explosive ordnance in Borno State, he said that increasing the reach, extent, and duration of Mine Risk Education/ Armed Violence Reduction programming, and advocacy by humanitarian organisations could prove worthwhile, same as strengthening intelligence gathering and sharing mechanisms to disrupt organised armed group networks and prevent attacks.

“Also, enhancing border security to curb the influx of illicit weapons and explosives; investing in community resilience programmes, including education, vocational training, and socio-economic development initiatives to address underlying grievances and vulnerabilities, and conducting targeted military operations against terrorist groups while minimising civilian casualties and collateral damage” could also be very beneficial, he said.

Nathaniel Ishaya, another resident of Maiduguri is averagely satisfied with efforts to return sanity and make Borno State safe again for its residents, returnees and aid workers by the government “because, over the past few years, residents haven’t heard the scary sounds of explosives within the city of Maiduguri. Even though the insurgents have not been fully eliminated, they have been reasonably silenced at least.

Ishaya described as “quite worrisome,” deaths occasioned by landmines and other IEDs, especially at this time when the state government is increasing efforts aimed at returning and resettling IDPs.

He called for increased and more effective peace-building initiatives, conflict resolution training, campaigns, and advocacies to expedite the reintegration process.

On enhancing local capacity to detect and mitigate the threat of IEDs Ishaya said: “This is an interesting suggestion that could prove to be a very effective solution. By training local volunteers to become Explosive Ordnance Resistance Education (EORE) instructors, the community would have a direct line of communication, as well as trusted sources of information on how to stay safe and approaches to adapt.