Chasing Insurgents through the Sahel: Aisha Bakari Gombi, The Boko Haram Huntress
Aisha Bakari Gombi (the Boko Haram Huntress as Al Jazeera called her) uses her hunting skills to find and take down Boko haram terrorists in Adamawa. She was born and raised near the Sambisa forest, the headquarters of Boko Haram. She is one of the few women who have been recruited by the Nigerian army as a volunteer to fight the terrorist group. Aisha Bakari Gombi enjoys hunting. As a child, she hunted antelopes with her father.
Skills
Due to her hunting prowess, Aisha is not afraid to search for terrorists, she brandishes a gun on a motorcycle that speeds from one village to the other searching for people who could be terrorists. Her experience and knowledge of the forest made her the leader of a team with 15-20 volunteers despite her limited training in military operations.
Aisha is a woman, whose bravery and keen hunting abilities have earned her the title of ‘Queen Hunter’ from the locals. Her record is also admirable as her team has been able to rescue a high number of Boko Haram captives and neutralize the sections of the terrorist group.
Speaking on why she joined the fight against the insurgents with the Vanguard newspaper, Aisha said she saw the way the terrorists are killing innocent and defenceless people, destroying property, abducting people, and razing whole villages.
Aisha said she had to rescue her village when it was attacked by the terrorists. She said when others were running, she stayed to fight. For a woman to display such bravery, people must have thought she was out of her mind. They must have given her the popular Hausa adage: Karambani akwiya, gai da kura (it was pure meddlesomeness on the part of the goat to think she could greet the hyena without disaster.)
When the opportunity came for her to officially join the fight against insurgency, she grabbed it with both hands.
Volunteering
Aisha volunteered to use her talent to save the country from terrorists. Aisha was one of the few women recruited by the Nigerian military as volunteers to fight Boko Haram on an ad hoc basis. Aisha said the hunters know the terrorists’ hideouts in the forest better than the soldiers.
Today, Aisha finds fulfilment in battling the terrorists and freeing their captives who are mostly women and children. Aisha’s attitude and love for hunting endeared her to many women who are influenced to become hunters, today, Adamawa State has about 100 female hunters. She said she enjoys the support, encouragement and cooperation of the locals, particularly the women.
In 2020, the Governor of Borno State, Umaru Zulum, appointed her as an aide in the fight against Boko Haram reported by Premium Times. The female hunter, “Sarauniyar Maharba” (chief female hunter) has been helping Nigerian troops and other security operatives in the fight against Boko Haram, banditry and other social vices in North East, the governor said. Aisha’s fervour against terrorists has given courage and hope to the hopeless.
Her courage is proof that bravery and resilience are not Male attributes.