No
fewer than 70 persons including some leaders of Boko Haram were killed
in both Borno and Plateau States during separate skirmishes in the last
three days in the country.Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram, also
had last night reportedly killed a soldier and abducted three others
during an attack on the military in Potiskum, Yobe state, a military
source revealed.
Sources confirmed the incident to newsmen in
Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, saying that the corpse of the deceased
soldier had been brought from Potiskum and deposited at a hospital
morgue in Damaturu town.
''The attack was a bad one because a
soldier was killed and the terrorists kidnapped three other soldiers to
an unknown destination", he said.
''Some of our search teams are
combing within and outside the neighbour hoods of Potiskum for the
missing soldiers. A helicopter gun ship had been deployed from Maiduguri
to join in the search teams yesterday morning.''
About 48 people
were killed in violence in Langtang South Local Government Area of
Plateau since crises started Thursday, while 22 other persons including
some leaders of Boko Haram were killed in Borno during a gun duel
between security agents and the Boko Haram insurgents. Special Task
Force, STF, Spokesman in Jos Plateau State, Captain Salisu Mustapha,
told newsmen in Jos, the capital yesterday that some invading Fulani
herdsmen killed 28 persons in Magama, Bongong and Karkashi communities,
while the STF killed 20 of them "in a gun duel that lasted several
hours."
Also, in Borno, the sources close to the Military Joint
Task Force, JTF, told Saturday Vanguard that "No fewer than 22 people
suspected to be members of terrorists group have been killed in Mainok
Village, Beneshiek Local Government Area of Borno state in an exchange
of gun fire which ensued between the terrorists and men of the JTF. Also
killed were two security personnel suspected to be policemen."
However,
the STF's Mustapha said that many other assailants sustained gunshot
wounds and were arrested by the STF, without giving the specific number
of those said to have been arrested.
"Some motorcycles, weapons and ammunition were also recovered," he added.
He
further said that the attackers were suspected to be Fulani herdsmen
and that they withdrew toward Yamini, Yelwa-Shendam and Agikamai
villages in Shendam Local Government Area after the attack.
He, however, said the situation had been brought under control as more troops had been deployed to secure the area.
Mustapha
said "STF personnel are conducting a robust patrol to guard against
further attacks on innocent persons." He advised the people to go about
their normal businesses and warned that security men would deal with
anyone caught making trouble in the area.
"Individuals or groups
of persons that have made themselves the enemies of the people will be
treated as such because we shall fish them out and deal with them," he
warned.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Langtang South Local
Government, Mr Naanman Darko, said that more than 6,000 displaced
persons were taking refuge at the local government headquarters in
Mabudi.
"In fact, more people are still trooping into the secretariat following rumours that more attacks are underway," he said.
Darko said nine injured persons were being treated at Langtang South General Hospital.
"The local government has been making arrangements to provide relief materials to the displaced persons.
"We
have also reached out to the State Emergency Management Agency and had
been assured that assistance is already underway," he added.
In
Borno, among those arrested were alleged four high profile Boko Haram
members including one suspected to be very close to leader of the sect,
Sheikh Abubakar Shekau. They were reportedly arrested yesterday by
Vigilante Youths popularly known as 'Civilian JTF' in Maiduguri, the
state capital.
Saturday Vanguard gathered from reliable sources
that the terrorists invaded Mainok village Wednesday in an attempt to
launch attacks on one of the security posts in the area but were
repelled by the superior fire power of the JTF."
The source said,
the terrorists laid an ambush, in readiness for the attack before the
exchange of gun shots began at about 6pm in the evening. It was learnt
that, during the encounter, several members of the terrorist sect were
killed, while two people suspected to be security operatives also lost
their lives.
The source said that the arrest of the high profile
members of the sect were carried out in different locations in Maiduguri
metropolis even as three of them were arrested at Galtimari ward close
to Giwa Barracks by the youths who later handed them over to the JTF
unit along 21 Armoured Brigade road. Two other suspects were said to
have been apprehended at Kawar-Maila in Shehuri ward, one of the
strongholds of Boko Haram sect which had witnessed series of killings,
bombing and destruction of houses in recent past.
The 'Civilian
JTF' which had been assisting the Military Joint Task Force, JTF, to rid
the state of terrorists, came to NNPC filling station along the Lagos
Street after they had arrested one of the suspects who, they claimed to
be very close to the sect leader, Shekau and bundled him into one of
their vehicles..
Speaking to newsmen on the issue at the filling
station, one of the 'Civilian JTF' members who spoke on the condition of
anonymity later said that the suspect was taken to the car wash near
the Sanda Kyarimi zoo in the metropolis to show them some of his
lieutenants who were hiding with their guns in the area.
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