Celebrating Christmas at the war front

For the second time, Nigerian Army high command, led by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, visited the front line to celebrate Christmas with troops fighting the war against Boko Haram terrorists. Musa Umar Bologi was on the entourage and gives a picture of how Christmas was like at the war front. 

The weather was cold and the atmosphere hazy and dusty. Hundred meters away from where the officers sat, one could hear the drumbeats and songs from soldiers. Christians and Muslims, they danced to different songs. They drank and eat as they made merriment. It was Christmas.
And on top of heaps of sand and trenches surrounding the camp, soldiers stood vigilant in case of any incoming threat. Though the war seems over, but, according to the dictates of the profession, nothing can be left to chance.

Before it finally fell into the hands of the troops in mid-2016, Damasak, a border community between Niger Republic and Nigeria, witnessed intense battle between troops and the Boko Haram terrorists. Insurgents attacked Damasak persistently, killing and kidnapping hundreds of residents, until it was recaptured by troops.
However, things are now calm and the soldiers rejoice with their own, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.General Yusuf Tukur Buratai, as he came to celebrate with them in the battle field.
“I feel very happy, as you can see we are all rejoicing in this Christmas,” says Corporal GontusDaniel, adding, “before, I never thought I will be celebrating Christmas, because things were tensed, but now there is peace, and we were able to hold church service this Christmas.”

A journey to Damasak takes about three hours from Maiduguri. Few kilometers into the journey, one could feel the emptiness of the landscape that lies ahead. Military checkpoints were mounted nearly every 20 kilometers. Villages by the road side sparsely populated, some entirely without lives, except for the presence of few domestic animals that remind any passenger along the route that there were inhabitants before the war.
Few vehicles move along the route with people and commodities. The passengers are mainly traders doing business along communities where people are gradually returning to after their liberation from the shackles of the terrorists. As the traders move towards Maiduguri, they are subjected to thorough check by soldiers at checkpoints, obviously to ensure no remnant of the terrorists mingles with them, and escapes to the city.

Although many villages along the route are with few human lives, Gubio town seems to have more population and huge human activities. It looks like it never experienced any encounter with the terrorists, as buildings stand still without bullet holes. People here are quite large in number and trading activities seem to be at the peak. More cars are parked by the road side near the market and in front of houses. People gather in groups making merriment, discussing and sharing jokes.
But Gubio did not achieve this peaceful atmosphere by chance. Like the people of Biu in Southern Borno State, Gubio residents resisted occupation of their community by the Boko Haram terrorists. It was reported that youths of the community cooperated with the troops to rout the insurgents from the area.

Interestingly, to know the intensity of the battle between the troops and the terrorists or how deep-rooted they were in each village, one needs just to look at the structures and note how badly they were damaged. In a village where the battle was intense, house and other structures wore more bullet holes, while the reverse is the case for the less intense ones – buildings seem to tell the whole story.
Some few kilometers from Gubio, is Kareto village. Unlike in Gubio, Boko Haram terrorists launched several attacks on Kareto, leading to fleeing of the residents to seek refuge in other safer communities. Today, only troops are seen mounting checkpoints in the village.
It is from Kareto that one begins to feel the welcome of the Sahara. Trees become more and more sparse, and one could see far distance ahead with little obstruction. The winds begin to blow more and more with sand dust and the cold of the night welcomes the visitors to the landscape of the desert.
After crossing several checkpoints, we got to Damasak at about 5: 45pm. Transport fare from here costs commuters N100 to get to the other side of the border. Damasak was a very busy community before the insurgency, striving in inter-border trade. However, a onetime prosperous town is now a ghost of its former self due to insurgency.

On arrival at the 145 Battalion Headquarters, night was gradually falling. Time was of essence, and troops immediately served with food and drinks to begin the Christmas celebration. The COAS sat at the other end with other principal staff from the army headquarters, while the troops continue with merriment.
“I haven’t had this kind of Christmas for a long time,” says Sargent Godwin Yilda, holding his food and walking towards the tent. “We are happy seeing our Oga coming here to celebrate with us; it shows they really care. We thank God peace has returned to this community and we are celebrating Christmas without war….”
When COAS joined the soldiers in their canopies, applause and shouting engulfed the air. Sai do do, Ga baba, the soldiers shouting and clapping. It took quite a while before the soldiers settled down and other programmes for the celebration started.

Apart from the speeches delivered by COAS and some principal officers, the occasion was light mood, as soldiers took turn to entertain their guests, including people from Damasak town and surrounding liberated villages.
The drama was staged by six soldiers, each representing adifferent rank in the army – from gunner (private) to three-star-general. It illustrates the importance of team work and cooperation of all ranks in the army to achieve the desired goal, especially in winning the war against insurgency.
Another performance that thrills the audience was the rapping by three soldiers and poem by a sergeant. The poem and the rap depicted the hazards of war and the duties of a soldier to defend and protect his country underany circumstance.
The music and cultural dance were staged by Ibo and Kanuri soldiers-dancers. The two groups performed on stage at the same time,eliciting laughter from the guests, as they strive to outperform each other.

The creativity of the soldiers was highly appreciated by the guests who applauded the participants.
High point of the occasion came with the bonfire. Loud sound from gun shots and other military weapons continued to fill the surrounding; and the merriment continued till we left Damasak at about 10:45pm.
Still folding our hands over our chests fighting the cold weather, we gradually left behind the hazy and dusty landscape; and villagers that have sad stories to tell about insurgency, and filled with hope as peace returns to their communities once again.