June 24, 2013
MAIDUGURI—Youths Vigilante group in Borno State, otherwise known as Civilian JTF, weekend, arrested 31 Boko Haram suspects in various locations in Maiduguri metropolis amidst ovations and commendations from residents and soldiers of the Joint Task Force, JTF.
The arrested sect members were immediately handed over to the various local sector commanders of JTF for further interrogation and investigation.
The suspects were believed to have been dislodged from their training camps at Sambisa Games Reserves Forests and Kirenowa, a border community with Chad, after troops attacked the camps following declaration of state of emergency by President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to the chairman of the vigilante group, Abubakar Mallum, the suspects were nabbed at NEPA Market junction, Anguwar Doki, Shuwari II and Gambouru market, among other areas of Maiduguri metropolis.
JTF commended the youths in the joint manhunt of fleeing Boko Haram suspects.
Its spokesman, Lt.-Col Sagir Musa said: “JTF commended these youths for assisting our soldiers and police arrest these terrorists’ suspects among people living in the metropolis.
“The youths have also renewed their efforts in supporting the JTF in the current operations.”
Speaking on the youths’ modus operandi yesterday in Maiduguri, the group’s leader, Mallum said: “Although some people call us ‘Civilian JTF’ in the manhunt of Boko Haram suspects in Maiduguri, we members of this Youths Vigilante group operate at strategic locations with ordinary sticks and cutlasses.”
Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/youths-nab-31-suspected-boko-haram-suspects-in-borno/
Featured image: AP
As Boko Haram Declares “Revenge,” Youth Start “Stop and Search,” Vow “No Return”
The volunteer youth group, tagged, ” Civilian JTF”, assisting the men of the Joint Task Force, ‘Operation Restore Order’, to subdue the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, yesterday, embarked on “Operation Stop and Search” of vehicles in Maiduguri, a situation which led to the arrest of several sect members.
The youth, who carried cutlasses, knives and sticks, positioned in different locations, searching all vehicles including their engines, while the JTF personnel watched.
This came barely five days after one Abu Zinnira, who claimed to be spokesman for Boko Haram, said, in a statement emailed to newsmen, that they will launch a manhunt for the youth.
“We have established that youth in Borno and Yobe states are now against our cause. They have connived with security operatives and are actively supporting the government of Nigeria in its war against us. We have also resolved to fight back, ” Zinnira said.
However, some of the youth promised to fight Boko Haram, saying they were not deterred from
carrying out their mission.
One of the leaders of the youth group said, “What the Boko Haram said is an empty threat because terror, war of attrition and killing of innocent people with impunity is over. We have resolved to take our destiny in our hands and will continue hunting the insurgents.”
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/boko-haram-regroups-invades-borno-towns/
