Troops deployed in bid to rescue minister’s relations

The Presidency is weighing options on how to increase the number of troops in the troubled Northeast.

A top military source, who spoke in confidence, said the depletion of troops nationwide, as a result of security challenges in at least 30 states, made the measure necessary.

He said it had become “urgent to beef up troops” in the Northeast.

The highly-placed source said: “From all indications, the Presidency may soon consider recruiting qualified, competent, courageous members of Civilian JTF into special security forces to be well-trained and equipped in the war on terror.

“Rather than arming the volunteer groups who are proving their worth and staking their lives to protect their communities with mere sticks and knives against Boko Haram terrorists, the system is considering proposals from security and military experts who believe recruitment of qualified youths may be the best option against creating militias that could be problems in future.

“Background checks, antecedents and past exploits and contributions of individual volunteers will be taken into consideration to avoid recruiting those with evil and criminal intents into the specialised forces.

“Other considerations include the fact that such local volunteers understand the terrain of such environment and politics of the insurgents.”

Another source said: “It has also been discovered that if members of the CJTF are adequately trained and equipped, they could dare the terrorists in the held communities.

“They had in the past with bare hands arrested Boko Haram kingpins and handed them over to security personnel.

“A lot of members of the CJTF have been killed by terrorists because they are not armed and trained in counter-insurgency operations.”

In videos released by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, he had continued to warn CJTF against supporting the military. He had also shown the execution or slaughtering of captured CJTF members in his videos.

“Many have also called for the recruitment of courageous and qualified young Nigerians who are passionate to build career in the military rather than the jobless ones who join the military only to engage in acts of indiscipline, desertion and mutiny at a critical period of national life,” the source said.

The recruits are to be trained in the use of arms and basic ethics of rules of engagement, among others, before deployment.

Another source spokes of how troops had been depleted, no thanks to increasing security challenges nationwide. “It takes three to four years to train well-qualified troops. The nation cannot afford the luxury of waiting for some years to train troops while leaving security challenges unattended to,” the source said.

Troopswere yesterday deployed in the Adamawa State home town of Youth Development Minister Mr. Boni Haruna to rescue his trapped relations and others at the mercy of the Boko Haram.

The insurgents have in the last 24 hours seized the minister’s Kuburshosho hometown in Michika Local Government Area.

Besides vandalising the minister’s house, the rampaging insurgents also looted many homes and shops before setting them ablaze.

It was gathered that while some of the indigenes escaped, many got trapped.

Among those trapped are relatives of the minister who could not be located as at press time.

A source said: “Troops have been deployed in Kuburshosho to rescue the relatives of the Minister and other indigenes of the town.

“The troops were ordered to flush out the insurgents from the area and Garta, which was also overrun by the sect.

“So, the battle to liberate the minister’s town is ongoing.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The sect made spirited efforts to capture Kamale but River Kamale which overflew its bank, naturally repelled them.”

More than 10,000 people from Michika Local Government Area are presently seeking refuge in Yola.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/army-to-fight-boko-haram-with-civilian-jtf-recruits/