The Borno State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Sunday raised the alarm that youths in Maiduguri were being recruited by Boko Haram to supply fuel in the Gamboru Ngala area of the state.
The state Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, made the revelation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri.
Abdullahi said the command had intercepted a reasonable quantity of fuel packaged in cartons of groundnut oil, bound for the Gamboru Ngala Local Government Area in the state.
He said since Boko Haram fighters were running out of food and other supplies, they were now employing all sorts of means to replenish stock.
“The command had so far arrested a suspect, who confessed that he did not know the owner of the consignment that he was asked to deliver to the insurgents trapped in Gamboru Ngala.
“He later confessed that each of the five-litre keg of fuel is sold for N15,000 to the insurgents.
“You will recall we raised the alarm that some agents of Boko Haram were transporting stolen cows from the Mafa, Kalabalge and Bomboshe areas in the state to cattle market in Maiduguri.
“The Boko Haram sect usually send the cows to their agents in the city who will then sell them and repatriate either cash or fuel to the terrorists.
“We are warning the people, especially drivers not to accept or convey any form of luggage that looks suspicious to anyone, especially along the Gamboru area.
“We are also warning drivers, park owners and union groups to always check their passengers and their luggage to avoid transporting bad elements that would cause havoc in the society.”
According to him, the command is working with other relevant security agencies to bring all the collaborators of the terrorists to book.
Meanwhile, a suicide attack was on Sunday averted on an internally displaced persons’ camp in Maiduguri by a sharp sniper.
According to a member of the youth vigilance group, Modu Zarami, the suicide bomber was shot by a soldier while trying to scale the fence to gain entrance into the Bakassi IDPs camp.
Confirming the incident, the information officer of the National Emergency Management Agency, Sani Datti, in a text message to our correspondent said, “A lone suicide bomber was this morning (Sunday) intercepted as he tried to gain access into Bakassi IDP camp, Maiduguri.”
Zarami, a member of the youth vigilance group, popularly called Civilian JTF, told our correspondent on the telephone that the male suicide bomber was spotted at a mosque along Damboa Road, and to avoid being caught, took to his heels.
In his pursuit were some CJTF and a soldier, who caught up with him while trying to scale the fence of the IDPs camp.
“The soldier had to gun him down before he could scale the fence,” Ibrahim said, adding that the explosive device on him was subsequently detonated by an officer from the bomb disposal unit of the Nigeria Police.
This, he said, was responsible for the loud bang heard in parts of Maiduguri by some residents.
Zarami said, “The guy, said to be in his 20s, was woken up at the mosque when the people could not identify him. They quickly asked him to identify himself and to raise his clothes up. When the explosive were seen, and having sensed danger, he took off and ran to Bakassi. He was shot when he tried to scale the fence.
“It happened behind Bakassi Camp at about 9am. Two bombs were found on his body.”
Zarami added, “His remains have been removed by the JTF operatives to a hospital’s morgue in Maiduguri.”
Also, the National Emergency Management Agency on Sunday advised Borno residents, especially the IDPs, to be more vigilant, following increased suicide attacks targeted at the displaced persons in Maiduguri.
The North-East Coordinator of the agency, Mallam Muhammad Kanar, gave the advice in an interview with NAN in Maiduguri.
Kanar said the attacks were a sign of desperation by the Boko Haram insurgents to cause havoc in the IDP camps.
“It is true that they have been trying to gain access into the city and wreak havoc, but security agents have been up and doing in preventing them.
“Two on Saturday and then today, we had another one that was detected early enough by the security agents,” he said.
Comments
Post a Comment