Boko Haram Kills 680 Civilian JTF

Police deploy 3,000 personnel in Borno

Six hundred and eighty members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) have lost their lives to the Boko Haram insurgency from 2014 till date in Borno State, the hotbed of the war.
The Legal Adviser to the CJTF, Mr. Jubril Gunda, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri yesterday.

Gunda, who described the dead CJTF members as heroes, said they were killed in various operations in the state.
He said many members of the CJTF also sustained various degrees of injuries since the group joined the campaign to end insurgency in Nigeria’s North-east.

Gunda noted that the CJTF had made remarkable contributions in ensuring the return of peace to war-ravaged communities in Maiduguri and elsewhere.

The legal adviser, who described himself as a staunch member of the CJTF, pleaded with the federal government to provide money and materials for the families of dead CJTF members.
“Their families are left on their own with no compensation, except the token burial money given by the Borno State Government.

“Their children cannot afford to go to school or pay house rent,” he said, describing the conditions of bereaved families as pathetic.
Gunda revealed that 780 members of the group had been trained and exposed to combat operations to boost their combat readiness.
“It is our sincere believe that the 780 trained CJTF members will make a great difference in the campaign against insurgency.”

Gunda called on the Borno Government to pay allowances and provide vehicles for the group to motivate them.
He also advocated closer collaboration between the military, police and the group to ensure smoother implementation of the anti-insurgency campaign.

Meanwhile, the Borno State Police Command yesterday said it had deployed 3, 000 policemen to Maiduguri and other areas liberated from the Boko Haram insurgents.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Victor Isuzu, disclosed this in an interview with journalists.
Isuzu said the measure became imperative to enhance security network in Maiduguri and other communities liberated from the insurgents.
He explained that the command had taken proactive steps to deal with security threats, protect lives and property in the state.

He said the personnel had already resumed duty in their various posts.
Commenting on the foiled suicide bomb attack by the insurgents at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), the PPRO said the command had deployed additional personnel to strengthen security at the institution.

“The command had recently deployed a full unit of mobile police personnel, guards and sniffer dogs to the university, to complement the presence of security personnel there.

“These deployments have started yielding results toward preventing attempts by these enemies of peace to threaten the lives and safety of the university community and its environs.”

Isuzu reiterated the commitment of the command to the protection of lives and property in the state.
He called on the people to be vigilant and cooperate with the law enforcement agents to enable them to discharge their duties effectively.