Traditional hunters armed with homemade guns, poisoned spears and amulets have gathered in their hundreds, eager to use their skills and what they believe to be supernatural powers to help find the over 200 girls abducted April 14 from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram.

According to Associated Press (AP), Some 500 hunters, some as young as 18 and some in their 80s, said they had been selected by their peers for their spiritual hunting skills and had been waiting for two weeks in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to get backing from the military and get moving.

With cow horn trumpets echoing eerie war cries from the screaming and chanting men who twirled knives and swords with dexterity, occasionally stabbing and cutting themselves with no apparent harm, the hunters claimed their magic charms prevented any blood being drawn.

They also trust amulets of herbs and other substances wrapped in leather pouches as well as cowrie shells, animal teeth and leather bracelets to protect them from bullets.

A spokesman for the hunters, Sarkin Baka, stopped short of actually criticising the military, adding that “we’re not saying we are better than the soldiers, but we know the bush better than them.”

Military spokesman did not immediately respond to an emailed question from AP on whether it would take advantage of the hunters’ local knowledge.

The hunters said they were reaching the end of their patience, adding that “we are seasoned hunters, the bush is our culture and we have the powers that defy guns and knives; we are real men of courage, we trust in Allah for protection, but we are not afraid of Boko Haram.”

One of them, Baban Kano, said “if government is ready to support us, then we can bring back the girls. But if they are not, they should tell us, so that we can disband and return to our homes and family.”

Meanwhile, a Royal Air Force (RAF) spy plane sent by the United Kingdom (UK) to join the international hunt for the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls has broken down on the way.

The Sentinel R1, according to The Telegraph, was forced to divert to Senegal with a “technical issue” and will be grounded until repairs have been completed.

The unexpected delay is a repeat of last year’s embarrassment for the Ministry of Defence when a C-17 transporter sent to help French troops in Mali was also temporarily grounded by technical trouble.

The modified executive business jet left RAF Waddington on Sunday and bound for its new base in Accra, Ghana, where it will be stationed while flying across northern Nigeria.

However, the crew reported technical problems midway through the flight.

A source, according to The Telegraph, said “we had a choice of turning around and coming home, or landing en route.”

It was on Monday night unclear when the jet would be able to resume its flight and travel the remaining 1,300 miles to Accra.

•Based on separate reports in Nigerian Tribune. Photo shows a group of traditional hunters.