It was learnt that in 1999, Lawal left Nigeria for further studies at the University of Medina, Saudi Arabia, thereby yielding the leadership of the group to the man known as Mustapha Modu Jon, commonly called Mohammed Yusuf.
Yusuf’s leadership was said to have opened the group to political influences and increased popularity.
Although Yusuf’s religious activism was linked to Kano, where he had brushes with popular Islamic clerics, he was said to have laid the foundation for the growth of the organisation.
Details about the late Yusuf, however, indicated that he hailed from Gingir village in Jakusko Local Government Area of Yobe State. He was born on 29 January 1970, married four wives and had 12 children.
“By 2000, Yusuf had won the respect and confidence of some clerics and youths at Indimi Mosque. He started presiding over some mosque activities and along the line, he upstaged all the teachers to emerge a leader. Many youths who followed him saw the older clerics as secular and anti-Sharia.
“His followers are largely illiterate youths who engaged in petty trading or had dropped out of school,” a source said.
ESTABLISHMENT OF MUHAMMAD YUSUF.
He then established his own mosque in an area called Railway Quarters in Maiduguri, while also extending his preaching to the mosques located at Kandahar, Unguwar Doki (near Monday Market) and Millionaire’s Quarters.
Investigators were also told that by early 2004, the Islamic sect had grown in states of presence with Borno, Yobe and Bauchi being notable and that some of the converted youths abandoned their studies to join the group. The ready-made army of followers were, however, said to be the Almajiri.
It was after 2004 that the sect leaders were said to have established links with the Algerian Salafist Group, now known as Al-Qaeda in Islamic Magreb, (AQIM), which gave them training on combat and use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
From trainings acquired in AQIM, it was gathered that members of Boko Haram were able to show dexterity in handling of weapons and manufacture of what is called “dirty bombs” through IEDs
NEW STRATEGY.
It was gathered that investigations by operatives have revealed that following recent arrests of high profile members of the sect as well as the fortification of most high targets, including headquarters of security outfits, a strategy has been put in place to ensure precision of attack.
Said a source close to the administration, “recent discoveries have shown that due to the fortification of premises of important buildings set aside as targets by Boko Haram, strategy has been put in place to simulate convoys of high profile Nigerians so as to gain access to target buildings.”
The plan, according to sources, is to use convoys with sirens to infiltrate headquarters of security agencies and local government area offices of such agencies to unleash terror.
Another strategy is to attack christian worship centers in volatile Northern states, this will trigger reprisal in all parts of the country, therefore the security will be highly involved in containing the situation that will enable Boko Haram to unleash deadlier attacks to their targets easily and achieve their aim of causing general chaos and anarchy.
RECRUITMENT.
As a result of the comments said to have been attributed to a top Nigerian security source that the Boko Haram would soon run out of suicide bombers, investigators were also said to have confirmed fresh recruitment drives.
It was gathered that the group now uses internet to propagate its activities and enhance its radicalisation and circulation of extremist ideologies.
Already, it was said that the sect is planning to double its huge following in such states as Kano, Bauchi, Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto, Plateau, Kaduna and Katsina.
The recruitment drive is said to be targeted at muslims between ages of 17 and 30, a source said, adding that the group has also been recruiting its followers through prison breaks when freed prisoners are brainwashed to become adherents. - Nigerian Dan Arewa.
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