25 Killed In Civilian JTF, Boko Haram Clashes

Over 25 civilians, including five vigilante youths, have been killed by suspected members of Islamist sect Boko Haram, when the youths attacked the sect members in Dawashi Village of Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, a border town with Niger and Chad Republic. The vigilante youths, also known as Civilian JTF and popularly called Yan Gora, in Maiduguri, who have been assisting the men of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in arresting suspected Boko Haram members, were also said to have been ambushed and killed, weekend, in Mainok Village of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State. The Mainok incident took place when some volunteer youths from Ajilari, Gomari and Bulunkutu Kasuwa wards of Jere and Maiduguri metropolis, stormed the village in their patrol vehicles to arrest suspected sects members, according to sources. The Civilian JTF, who went without the cover of the military task force were however overpowered as the terrorists fired gunshots on their convoy, killing five of them, with one injured. Mainok, about 50 kilometers away from Maiduguri, is one of the areas dominated by suspected Boko Haram members until last month when JTF raided the village and killed over 40 terrorists, burning of over 100 motorcycles suspected to have been used for terrorists activities. As the corpses of the five victims arrived Umaru Shehu Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, yesterday, some members of the vigilante youths mobilised to Mainok village with the back up of military JTF and set the entire village ablaze. JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, confirmed the incident in a statement to newsmen, saying the vigilante youths were on operation in Mainok town over the weekend, adding that they were attacked by suspected Boko Haram members in the course of their operation. Sagir said both the deceased and the wounded were in Shehu Umar Specialist Hospital Bulumkutu in Maiduguri metropolis. According to him, on hearing the news at about 11p.m. last Friday, JTF troops were drafted to the area and have been operating on Mainok and surrounding villages to apprehend the bandits, pointing out that the situation in the area was now calm. On the killing of 20 innocent civilians in Dawashi, it was gathered that a group of volunteer youth from Maiduguri stormed Dawashi village in search of Boko Haram members when the suspected sect members came armed and fired sporadic shots that killed over 20 innocent civilians, while a dozen had serious gunshot injuries. The victims, it was gathered were mostly fishermen and traders. It was also gathered that the Dawashi, Daban Masara and Malan Karanti of Kukawa areas were considered stronghold of the sect. Media Coordinator of the Multinational Joint Task Force, MJTF, in Baga town of Kukawa Local Government, Lieutenant Haruna Mohammed, also confirmed the incident. He said: “At the time of compiling this report, the victims were still lying within the premises of MNJTF Field Ambulance, receiving medical treatment from the injury sustained during the attack.”