Ibrahim Adeyemi
A former Boko Haram fighter, Wilberforce Yohanna was, on February 18, exposed at a correctional centre in Adamawa State after he had been successfully recruited as a staffer of the Yola New Custodial Centre in the state.
Leaked internal documents on the security situation at the prison facility showed that Mr. Yohanna’s Boko Haram background was detected, following the dexterity he displayed with gun handling during training.
“While on training, he was found to be more versatile in the use and operations of firearms,” the leaked files obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, revealed. “Upon further interrogation and collaborative findings, he confessed to having been abducted and held hostage by members of the Boko Haram for two (2) years.”
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The new prison official also confessed to having gotten training in heavy weapon handling from a Boko Haram base before he escaped their custody, according to the documents.
It is unclear if Mr. Yohanna’s claim that he fought for Boko Haram against his will is true or if he merely tried to downplay his past. Authorities have so far failed to launch the needed inquiry needed to scrutinise the prison official’s claim and determine his real past.
What is however clear is that Mr Yohanna was a deadly combatant for the terrorist Boko Haram group and the implications of recruiting him into any of the nation’s security services should have been extensively considered.
Although the Correctional Service authorities are worried about the recruitment of an ex-terrorist, they are unwilling – or uncertain – about doing anything in Mr Yohanna’s case to avoid getting negative media attention, insiders familiar with the matter said.
Asked if the ex-terrorist was profiled before he was recruited, our inside sources said bribery and corruption have compromised the standard of vetting in the correctional service.
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The insiders said a good number of applicants pay bribes to get placements at the correctional service without going through any rigorous vetting.
“Usually vetting is to be done before recruitment but in the Correctional Service, little or no vetting is done,” a top prison official, who asked not to be named because he is not permitted to divulge such information, told PREMIUM TIMES. “People pay for jobs and receive their employment letters at home. Level 8 is sold for 800k, Level 4-7 for 400k.”
The Boko Haram ex-combatant and the fear in the atmosphere
When authorities found that Mr Yohanna was a former member of the violent Boko Haram group with rare expertise in gun handling, palpable fear and anxiety immediately enveloped the prison facility, insiders said.
Officials, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES but asked not to be identified by name, said poor recruitment exercises allowed Mr Yohanna to enter the workforce of the correctional service, make prison facilities vulnerable to attacks and jailbreaks.
This, the officials said, is because “evil planners can easily find compromised, corrupt, or double-dealing correctional service workers to help “their mission from within.”
