Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
Troops of 151 Task Force Battalion, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have nabbed eight Civilian JTF members for alleged supplies of logistics and other welfare items to Boko Haram terrorists at Banki in Borno state.
The arrested suspects, were also accused of collaborating with the terrorists to launch attacks on military bases in border areas with Cameroon.
Confirming the arrests, yesterday (Saturday), in Maiduguri, the state capita, a counter insurgency expert, in the Lake Chand region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed: “Before their arrests, they had been terrorists’ intelligence gatherers.”
He added that the suspects were also involved in supplying various items including drugs, fuel, mosquito nets and other food items to Sambisa Forest hideouts.
According to him, luck however; ran out of the suspects while transacting a deal with the terrorists at a river in Yukami village on the outskirts of Banki.
He said the nefarious activities of the terrorists’ collaborators, were coordinated by Mohammed Dungus to endangered troops on clearance operations on the fringes of Banki community.
“The unfortunate sabotage of troop’s movement and position by Dungus and his cohorts made it possible for terrorists to attack the rear element of troops on patrol at Gauri village on October 30, 2022,” he said, noting that the attack was however, repelled with casualties on both sides.
He said that investigations are ongoing to unravel the network of the local collaborators, spies and other accomplices in the border areas with Cameroon.
“Civilian JTF has been useful in identifying Boko Haram insurgents, repelling attacks and liberating towns and villages captured by terrorists,” said Makama, stating that the volunteer group is critical in the intelligence gathering network of the military operations in the Northeast.
“Despite their efforts in the terror war, there are some bad eggs engaged in nefarious activities,” he noted, warning that they are obstacles in the Nigerian Military’s successful prosecution of the war against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the region.
