Five Youths Killed As Soldiers, JTF Clash In Maiduguri

BEVERLY HILLS, February 16, (THEWILL) – Five members of the youth vigilante group, a.k.a Civilian JTF were shot dead Monday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, as members of the vigilante group engaged soldiers from the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri in a brawl.

Local residents disclosed that trouble started when a convoy of private trucks contracted by the Nigerian Army to convey ammunitions from the Maiduguri Airport to the headquarters of the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army was stopped at a checking point manned by the Civilian JTF who were on patrol to provide security because of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign holding in the town.

Despite the fact that the trucks were escorted by the soldiers who, according to sources, tried to explain to the youths, the Civilian JTF would not let the trucks pass as some of them were said to have climbed the trucks to see what was inside while others made a bonfire and started chanting that “soldiers are Boko Haram.”

The effrontery of the youths was said to have irritated the soldiers who felt that the bonfire set up by the youths may cause explosion to the trucks loaded with explosives.

The soldiers were said to have shot at the youths, killing five of them while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Confirming the incident, a top security source said “it was an affront on the military for some armed youths under any guise to accost their officials on the road.”

Explaining that the trucks were contracted to convey the ammunition by the military when Army vehicle ferrying the ammunition got spoilt, he lamented that despite the fact that the trucks were escorted by heavily armed soldiers in uniform, the youth still had the gut to ask that the vehicle should not only be checked but the ammunitions should be offloaded.

“They even went a step further to set bonfire which could have caused a massive explosion as the trailer was filled with thousands of explosives,” he said, stressing that the soldiers had no other choice but to shoot at the youths.