How Boko Harama killed 680 JTF Members
Gunda said
in an interview in Maiduguri on Friday that in spite of the high casualty
figure, the JTF remain undaunted in its resolve to protect communities in the
state from the terrorists.
“The group
which is nonprofitable started in 2012 when our youths picked up sticks and
said no more Boko Haram and they successfully push the terrorist group out of
Maiduguri.
“We don’t
have any other home than Borno, we are therefore working tirelessly to provide
civic protections against any form of threat represented by Boko Haram.
“Sadly a lot
of our youths have paid the supreme price, there is hardly any day you will
hear of an attack without one of our civilian JTF killed and that does not mean
we will stop defending our land of terrorism.
“As you can
see I am a lawyer by profession, this is my Chamber and I am happy to also be
one of the Civilian JTF. I was also trained for eight months on light arms use
by the military.
“If I see a
Boko Haram now, I can take him down with my gun.
“It was
necessary to train our civilian JTF on the use of arms because they always move
along with the military in the front line during operations.
“Our
civilian JTF had taken part in almost all the operations going on in Sambisa
forest.
“It was also
necessary because they are always the first to sight Boko Haram suspects during
checks in the state capital.
“Boko Haram
members are not afraid of the military, they are afraid of the civilian JTF;
they believe if a civilian JTF kill any of them, they will go to hell. Many of
them have said this during their testimonies,” said Gunda.
According to
him, no fewer than 23,000 youth vigilantes have been registered under the body
to provide civic protection in every nooks and cranny of the state.
He said that
the job of the Civilian JTF was purely to stop Boko Haram insurgents from
causing havoc in the society.
Gunda said
there were numerous challenges confronting the group because the members were
not been paid for the job.
“Like I said
earlier, it was a voluntary thing, so no one was paid any penny for the job and
because of some difficulties and poor living conditions of the youths, some
engage in begging to fend for themselves.
“It was as
the result of this that Borno State Government decided to empower 1,400 of them
as vanguards with the acronym BOYES and were being paid N15, 000 monthly.
“Government
and other nongovernmental organizations must also give support to the other
20,000 youths who were not empowered.
“They should
also give priority attention to widows of our deceased youths because we are
left to carter for their welfare.
“Government
should sponsor their children and give them a better life in recognition of the
selfless sacrifices made by their parents,” said Gunda.
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