(http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/army-bokoharam-300x210.jpg) (http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/army-bokoharam.jpg)From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri
Some youths in the troubled city of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital who formed a vigilante group hunting for the suspected Boko Haram insurgents, said yesterday that they have so far captured over 30 insurgents in their seperate operations.
This is coming as the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR has refuted claims by government officials that only about 120 Nigerians have fled the country to neighboring Niger Republic as a result of the state of emergency declared in the affected states of the North East.
The UN agency disclosed yesterday that the military offensive against insurgents in the region has forced more than 6,000 refugees – mostly women, children and the elderly – to flee to neighboring Niger.
Peoples Daily had earlier reported that young men in various areas of Maiduguri metropolis comprising of Hausari, Gwange, Pezzan and Bulumkutu, among others have formed a vigilante group, patrolling streets of their respective wards, hunting for the suspected Boko Haram members.
Our correspondent also reported that the gallant youths, aged bewteen 20 to 25 years, in a quest to apprehend the insurgents, now move with dangerous weapons comprising cutlasses, daggers, knives and sticks, among others.
Eleven of the youths, who are now popularly referred as 'civilian JTF', were spotted by newsmen, wielding dangerous weapons along Damboa road, saying they resolved to go after the insurgents to complement the efforts of the security forces and express total support in the restoration of peace to the state.
Abubakar Mallum, who claimed to be chairman of the youths, spoke to newsmen after intensive persuations, saying they decided to volunteer themselves into such dangerous job in order to bring an end to the lingering bloodshed and destruction of properties occassioned by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Mallum expressed dismay over the violent campaigns engaged by the insurgents, which he said had claimed the lives of their parents, brothers, sisters and other relations, vowing that "there will be no more hide-outs for the Boko Haram members."
He said the exercise has yielded fruitful results as over 30 insurgents were arrested and handed over to the operatives of the Joint Military Task Force, (JTF) and even as he vowed that the youths would continue with the manhunt until all gunmen are wiped out from the state in particular and the country in general.
The chairman of the youths added that besides arresting the suspected insurgents, the volunteer group is equally engaged in assisting the security forces with the clues on the hide-outs of the gunmen.
Asked how they are able to identify the Boko Haram members, Mallum said: " You know most of the gunmen are living in our midst and they always move freely with their arms, so we easily fish them out even if they don't carry arms during the arrest.So whenever we sight an insurgent in a particular area, we hurriedly mobilise our members to apprehend him and hand him over to security forces, but when a suspect attempts to resist arrest, we beat and tie him up".
He said most of suspects they have succeeded in arresting live in Mafoni, Hausari, Bolori, Gwange and Ruwan Zafi Wards, adding that they have been getting support from the JTF and the general public.
He stated that presently, the group has over 100 members spread across various areas and are recruiting more youths just as he expressed optimism that the way things are happening, the crisis would soon come to an end.
On how they dared armed suspects to apprehend them, added:"Well, if we realize that our target is carrying rifle, we don't confront him directly but rather devise another strategy where we divide ourselves, with one group throwing stones at him, as he concentrate on dodging the stones, the other group will then approach him with dangerous weapons. So this is how we will chase him away and in sensing defeat, he will throw away the rifle in order to sneak into public, before then, we quickly apprehend him."
He called for support from government and other relevant stakeholder to enable them offer meaningful contributions in the fight against insurgency.
Meanwhile, more corpses of suspected insurgents, killed in a gun-duel with security forces are being dumped inside a ditch along Biu road bridge in Maiduguri metropolis.
Our correspondent who visited the scene yesterday reported that besides the already decomposed eight deads bodies dumped last week, additional 20 were equally dumped at same area.
The indiscriminate dumping of corpses, it was gathered, may not be unconnected with the new policy introduced by some public hospitals in the state for ultimate rejection of corpses brought with gunshot injuries.
Meanwhile, the UNHCR and other agencies have raised the fears that the longer the emergency goes on in the three affected states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, the more the North East's vulnerable local population, which includes some of the poorest people on earth, will suffer.
"Those UNHCR has spoken to say they escaped for fear of being caught in the government-led crackdown," notes from a UNHCR briefing in Geneva said, adding that they had reported air strikes were continuing near Lake Chad, where Nigeria borders Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
The military was not immediately available for comment, but in a statement on Friday defense spokesman Brigadier-General Chris Olukolade denied a report that Nigerian refugees were "pouring into" Niger.
The UNHCR said Niger had received 2,692 Nigerian citizens, with another 3,544 originally from Niger but who were living in Nigeria, and 94 people of other nationalities, mainly Chadian.
They are "putting a strain on meager local food and water resources. Niger ... itself struggles with food insecurity due to years of drought," the U.N. agency said.
The post How we captured 30 insurgents — Borno youths (http://peoplesdailyng.com/how-we-captured-30-insurgents-borno-youths/) appeared first on Peoples Daily Newspaper, Nigeria (http://peoplesdailyng.com).
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I pray they keep on capturing them cos that would do Nigeria a lot of good. I must kudos the youths of Borno for a job well done.