In less than 48 hours after killing of a member of civilian JTF by a policeman in Maiduguri, Borno State, the youth group has arrested 19 suspected members of the Boko Haram sect in five villages of Konduga Local Government area of the state.
A member of the youth vigilante, Ibrahim Yakub told DailyPost on Tuesday that the arrest of the suspects, were carried out within three-days of manhunt of fleeing Boko Haram sect members in Konduga town and neighbouring villages of the council area at the weekend.
Konduga, a town which is about 40 kilometres East of Maiduguri, recorded the death of 55 people in August, including eight policemen, soldiers and worshipers killed by the insurgents.
Also speaking in Maiduguri on the arrests, one of the youths, Abubakar Goni Adam said that the 19 terror suspects were pursued to the villages of Konduga and communities bordering the Sambisa Games Reserves Forest.
“The fleeing Boko Haram sect members had been hiding in the forests, but with the destruction of their training camps and hideouts by Special Operational Forces of Nigerian Army in June, the sect members fled to towns and villages bordering the forests.
“Our members had to intervene and act in tracking down these people that attack and kill innocent people in affected areas of the state.
“With the assistance of soldiers and the police, we are able to arrest 19 suspects along with some rifles and ammunitions in Konduga and other communities bordering the forests at the weekend”.
DailyPost also learnt that the arrested suspects were tied with their hands at the back, before transporting them to Maiduguri where they were handed them to soldiers of 7 Division of Nigerian Army at the NEPA office on Monday.
Borno State police commissioner, Lawal Tanko also confirmed the arrests of the terror suspects by the vigilante youths in Konduga council area of the state.
He said some rifles and ammunitions were also recovered by the youths from the fleeing Boko Haram sect members.
Tanko said: “our attention now has concentrated on the patrol of these towns and villages on market days; as the gunmen take advantage of market days to launch attacks on innocent people”.
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