SAN FRANCISCO, August 31, (THEWILL) – In continuation of its revenge attacks on towns and villages in Borno State, the dreaded Boko Haram sect on Friday laid an ambush for members of the Borno Civilian JTF in Monguno, killing 24 in the process while 36 others are reportedly missing.
Numbering about 100, the youth vigilante group members were said to have gone to Monguno, in the northern part of the State, to smoke out members of the sect but were ambushed and overpowered by the insurgents .
“The vigilante youths numbering over 100 were on a mission to capture some Boko Haram terrorists in their camps around Kaleri, Shuwari, Maganari and Nannari villages before they were ambushed by the terrorists which led to the death of 24 vigilante youths, while about 36 are still missing.
“ There was an initial arrangement with military troops that they will accompany the vigilante youth to the said Boko Haram camps in Monguno, and when the youths waited for them for hours and they were no where in sight, they decided to go and storm the camps to hunt down the sect members, but unknown to them, the armed Boko Haram sect members were ready for them.
“They (sect members) were disguised in military camouflages and had three captured security patrol vehicles on standby which deceived the vigilante youth to believing that the military might have already attacked the camps.
“As they approached the camps, the terrorists opened fire and killed about 15 of the Civilian JTF on the spot but some nine captured youths who were charmed up and could not be penetrated with gun were crushed with moving vehicles,” a source told journalists in Maiduguri , the state capital, on Saturday.
He said the youths were captured and laid on the road and a moving vehicle ran over them. “As I am talking to you now, about 36 of the volunteer youths are still missing, while we received an unconfirmed report that five of the vigilante youths who escaped the attack with broken legs and arms were rescued by some good Samaritans and are in one of the villages close to the camps were they are receiving treatment,” the source added.
A top politician, who craved anonymity told journalists that: “Already Alhaji Mohammed Nur Monguno, the Caretaker Chairman of Monguno rushed to Maiduguri on Saturday to brief Governor Kashim Shettima on the incident.”
There was however no official confirmation of the incident as both military authorities and the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin, could not be reached as telecommunications services in the state have been shut down..
