Snake bites and bee stings drive some Boko Haram fighters out of Sambisa Forest

SEVERAL Boko Haram fighters have been captured by Nigerian military authorities after a combination of snake bites and bee attacks forced them out of the terrorist sect's stronghold in the Sambisa Forest in the remote northeast of the country.   Nigeria's Sambisa Forest Game Reserve, which covers an area of approximately 60,000 square miles, once used to be tourist attraction in Borno State. It has since fallen into a state of disrepair with all the animals within it dead and has subsequently been taken over by Boko Haram, which uses the remote bushland as its headquarters.   Hard to access, the Nigerian military has been unable to penetrate the remote corner of the country, allowing the terrorist sect free reign to do as it pleases there. However, it appears that mother nature is proving to be a big problem for Boko Haram as some of its militants have fled from its camp after incessant snake bites and bee stings became too much for them to bear.   Two suspected Boko Haram fighters were captured by youth vigilantes know as the Civilian Joint Task Force after they fled from the forest recently. They reportedly said they were being attacked by mystical bees and snakes that had already killed many other insurgents.  
One of the fighters said: “We decided to flee when almost all our comrades are leaving the Sambisa because of constant attacks by snakes and bees, which we were told was as a result of Chibok abducted schoolgirls. We were told that the aggrieved people who had suffered from our deadly mission, including the ghosts of some of those we killed, are the ones turning into the snake and bees."   Boko Haram fighters are apparently susceptible to local superstition that snake bites and bee stings can make people disappear. It is also believed the bites and stings are in retaliation for the group's civilian kidnappings and killings in the surrounding region.   Despite driving some insurgents out of the undergrowth, the wildlife has not served as much of a deterrent to Boko Haram as nationwide, the group has stepped up its bombing campaign. Of late, it has begun using female suicide bombers who hide bombs under their heavy protective clothing.