Emboldened by last weekend’s courage when they confronted gun-wielding Boko Haram members, angry youths in Maiduguri, Borno State, yesterday combed the metropolis, seeking to smoke out the insurgents from their hide-out.
Armed with machetes and sticks, the residents said that they have had enough of the activities of the dreaded insurgents. The youths arrested many of the sect members yesterday and handed them over to security agents.
The action, according to one of the leaders, Abubakar Maulum, was fueled by the courage displayed by a group of youths at Hausari, a renowned Boko Haram den last weekend. Some of the youths were said to have apprehended eight gunmen believed to be Boko Haram members that attacked and killed about 13 people on Friday and handed them over to the Joint Task Force (JTF) troops. The gunmen, who reportedly pretended to be driving to a burial site, and had weapons hidden in a coffin, came to the area, off-loaded the arms and opened fire at unsuspecting residents.
Meanwhile, some youths who were seen yesterday in some parts of the metropolis with machete and sticks said: “Enough is enough,” noting that the residents and the state have suffered for long in the hands of the dreaded sect. “We are tired of this and we want to put an end to it. Since soldiers don’t really know who the Boko Haram members are, then, we who live with them and know them very well, have resolved that we have no option than to help fish them out,” Abubakar said.
One of his lieutenants, Isa Musa, said he decided to join the vanguard to apprehend the Boko Haram men to save more lives. When reminded that he was trying to fish out armed men with only sticks and cutlasses, Isa said he believed God’s power was more than human tools. “I know, but God’s power is stronger. Just pray for us in this battle because we are ready to lose our lives to save more lives. We are into this to save our people from Boko Haram who had killed our people, security operatives and destroyed our economy; we are not afraid of them because we are doing a just cause and God is on our side.”
The youths said they have arrested many of the sect members and handed them over to security forces in the town and where they are hiding. ‘We have lost count of how many insurgents we have caught and handed over to the soldiers and we are going after more of them. We caught one recently and when he was investigated, the security operatives found huge amount of money in his bank account”. The youth leader said that he was hit by a stray bullet from the sect in a recent attack.
Also at Gwange, some youths apprehended a young man in his house and handed him over to the JTF around the NEPA area. “The man is in his early 30s and his mother followed the crowd of youths, begging them, but nobody bulged,” an eyewitness said.
Meanwhile, two Boko Haram suspects were on Monday shot dead while attempting to escape from JTF custody. Eyewitnesses said the suspects escaped from the custody of the task force around the Post Office area.
“One of the suspects strolled into a crowded Post Office area where taxis and tricycles were dropping and picking commuters. Unfortunately, he was in handcuffs and this drew the attention of people around the area. But soldiers who were already trailing him came and as the guy was attempting to flee, the soldiers fired at him and he fell down. His corpse was picked by the police later with the body of the another suspect in the vehicle,” eyewitness said.