Thousands of youths thronged to the streets in Maiduguri yesterday to protest the siege of the Boko Haram sect on Borno State and express their willingness to go after the terrorist group.
The youths who initially assembled at the popular Ramat Square Ground at the centre of the town to launch their protest against the insurgents who had laid siege on the state since 2009, moved to the streets of the troubled state capital.
From the peaceful protest on the streets, they ended at the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Ibn-Garbai Elkanemi seeking his blessings which they claimed would ensure success in their confrontation with the terrorists.
The youth said they have resolved to enter Sambisa and other hideouts of the terrorists to hunt them down and bring an end to the on-going crisis.
At the palace of the prominent ruler, the Shehu tasked the protesting youths mainly members of the youth vigilante group, popularly known as ‘Civilian JTF’ to always abide by the rule of law in the course of discharging their civic responsibilities.
It would be recalled that in the last three weeks, some towns including Damboa, Gamboru Ngala, Bama and Banki were attacked by the terrorist group with some either captured or destroyed with many civilians killed and several thousands of people displaced.
Addressing over 10,000 civilian JTF members, local hunters, retired soldiers and other paramilitary men who took to the streets at his palace, the Shehu of Borno commended the effort of the civilian JTF in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency, and appealed to them to always follow the directives of the military and other security agencies while discharging their duties.
He said, with the emergence of the Civilian JTF, it has really assisted in dislodging the sect out of Maiduguri and its environs, and therefore called on other places to set up their own Civilian JTF/youth volunteers to fight terrorism.
“I want to thank you for this visit and the effort you are collectively and voluntarily doing in order to fight Boko Haram who are bent in, not only destroying our social and economic structures, but also killing innocent lives of our citizenry. I want to also appeal to you that you should desist from politics, religious or ethnic considerations while discharging your duties to your fatherland. In anything you are doing, you must make sure that you consult all other security agencies so that you work hand-in-hand to end terrorism that has been destroying us as a nation,” the Shehu pleaded.
The state Coordinator of Civilian JTF, Mallam Abba Aji Kalli, in an interview with Journalists said, they were at the Shehu’s palace to seek for his blessings and fatherly advice, as the group have vowed to go after insurgents even if they are not well armed, they are optimistic that with their sticks (Gora in Hausa) and other local arms they will raid all terrorists hideouts and kill them if given permission by the federal government.
Aji Kalli also said, the Civilian JTF are now more motivated with the support and assurance they received from retired military men, local hunters and other patriotic citizens who have expressed their willingness to join the group to end the madness perpetrated by boko haram terrorists in the north east.
They expressed their dismay over President Goodluck Jonathan for not supporting Civilian JTF by sacrificing their blood/lives in the fight against insurgency.
Kalli however noted that the group which is non-political, non-religious, will not be deterred as it is determined to work with the military to end insurgency in the region.