Members of the civilian JTF threaten strike

Members of the Civilian JTF operative in Maiduguri have threaten to down tools following what they call indiscriminate arrest of their members by Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), The Nation investigation revealed.
A reliable security source who does not want to be mentioned informed that, DMI in the last couple of days has embarked on a discreet arrest of some leaders of the Civilian JTF for alleged complicity in Boko Haram.

Information available revealed that, Borno state government is worried about the development and has immediately taken steps to nip the danger from the bud by convening a state security meeting where the issue was extensively discussed.

However, members of the Civilian JTF have threaten to desert the streets of Maiduguri if the military continues to arrest their members, at the same time demanding for the release of those in military custody.

For the records, the Civilian JTF operatives have been one integral armed group that has fought doggedly against the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state and the North-East. Their involvement in the fight brought immense breakthrough in the fight through information sharing, Surveillance, and physical participation in the fight.

Just last week, The Theatre Commander Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Lucky Irabor at a live Press briefing in Maiduguri announced that certain people are undergoing investigation in the hands of the military over involvement in Boko Haram activities in the state.

Though the identity of some of the suspects is still not clear, it was alleged on the social media that some of the suspects are close friends of Gov. Kashim Shetima. But the governor in a state wide broadcast last Friday told security agents to go after anybody involved in Boko Haram activities even if that person is any of his three biological children.

Shettima in the broadcast called on Borno people to unite against terror, while praising the gallantry of the military and the civilian JTF.

A source disclosed that the action of the Civilian JTF if not averted will be a major setback in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the state. He added that government is working seriously to resolve the issue.

A military source which does want to be quoted informed that the military cannot just keep anybody in their custody without any reason.

“For every suspect that we keep is a responsibility to the military, I will tell you that we don’t just arrest people for the sake of arrest. But for anybody in our custody he or she must have one or two questions to answer and as soon as possible we release you if you answered the question satisfactorily and where otherwise such a person will have to face justice,” the source said.