Sergeant Joseph Dan Iliya is one gallant Nigerian policeman who is still alive after one-on-one encounters with the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists. One of such was at Madagali Divisional Police Headquarters in Adamawa State where he and his colleagues exchanged several gunshots with the insurgents. Two of Iliya’s colleagues were killed during the encounter, while many sustained gunshot injuries. After having the fierce encounters with the Boko Haram sect, Iliya was declared wanted by the Boko Haram sect. In this interview with Tom Garba, he relieved the encounters with the Boko Haram terrorists. Excerpts:
My first encounter
On that fateful Wednesday day around 6:30pm was my off day. While on mufti, thought it to visit my colleagues to see how the are faring in office, knowing the fact that the entire Madagali town is in high tension and great anxiety that at any time Boko Haram boys will attacks us. On coming to the station from my house, I noticed my colleagues were just sitting down without being on alert position. I said look officers we have to always be on alert and take position. These boys (Boko Haram) might come at any time. Before I finished talking, I had a gunshot on my right hand, hearing all sorts of sporadic shootings from all angles. Some of my colleagues took to their heels. One of them while running away with his gun, I quickly grabbed his gun and began to shoot to scare them away, but realized they were too many. At this stage, I remembered I had taken an oath to work for Nigeria, even at the point of death. While they were rushing inside the station, which I know there are guns inside and knew too well they will take and kill the people of Madagali, it was there I said I’d rather die for my country than to allow them take this guns away to kill the people of Madagali, which I come from (Sukur kingdom). I took a position and targeted two of them to death, using only my left hand and shot many others. That incident distracted them and took their men shouting Allahu akbar and calling my name that they will certainly come back to kill me. When I realized they left, I crawled into the station and packed all the guns away to a nearby house where an Army Officer on leave lives. I begged him to safe keep it for our Police Station. On leaving his house, the entire Madagali became like a deserted town. No any shadow of human being. And all what’s happening no one could just come out and support or render a helping hand to the Police. It was later with the support of my soldier friend around 2am that we managed to get to a Hospital in Gulak town and later referred to Federal Medical Center, Yola, where I received treatment for a year and resumed back to work in 2015.
My second encounter
When I fully recovered from the gunshot I sustained in my right hand and back, I returned to my duty operation in Gulak Police Station of Madagali Local Government Area. Again one fateful Sunday morning in church, a report came Boko Haram invaded a village called Chakawa. My spirit moved up with tense passion to go there. It was then our DPO asked me to go with the armed police for a rescue of Chakawa, hence I’m conversant with the terrain of our area. While driving for some few kilometres, I advised my colleagues that we should stop by and strategise. These Boko Haram Boys can be within this bushy environment. They shouted me down that I’m too local and traditionally inclined. There and then I left them and began to walk alone inside the rocky and bushy path. Not quite a long walking distance and from no where, these boys engaged my colleagues in a gun battle. I helplessly looked on how two of my friends were gunned down to death as there was no gun with me. This men will stop any passersby and butcher them like rams. What saved me was a burial ground, where I laid down. My brother, I saw all this wickedness to humanity with my naked eyes. I saw their armoured tanks,heavy weapons, wondering why should this people behave this way. They now told our DPO we will not kill you people because we want you to bring one officer called Joseph Dan Iliya. That’s me. And one other person called Abdullahi. We want to kill them.
My third encounter
Hearing their mission to get me killed, I now resolved to be walking around with my gun. So my third experience and encounter with the Boko Haram boys was when I heard that they have displaced many in one of the villages close to Sukur, my home town. The villagers came and persuaded me to go and help them out. I followed them to the village and I saw hundreds of them well armed and now instructed the local hunters and vigilantes to take position. In fact, in that encounter, if not for the intervention of God, none of us would have survived. I can’t even explain how I survived that battle. But it was purely God. None of us was killed or shot. I am calling on the Government to know that Madagali is still not totally free from the attacks of Boko Haram being the only local government that is close to Sambisa, Chibok, Gwoza, the Southern Part of Borno State. I need to also stress that the Nigerian policemen are ready to work and the Government should give them adequate support.
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