41 Boko Haram members beheaded in Biu
41 Boko Haram members beheaded in Biu
No fewer than 41 suspected members of Boko Haram sect were killed
and beheaded by men of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a.k.a Civilian
JTF, at Biu, Borno State following a failed attempt by the insurgents to
overrun the Sabon Gari village, in Damboa Local Government Area of the
state, Thursday.
Biu,located south and about 185 kilometres drive from Maiduguri the
state capital, is one of the largest local government areas in the
state.
50 suspected Boko Haram members arrested hiding underneath the truck carrying sheeps and goats during a routine check
Sources told Saturday Vanguard that the combine efforts of military
officers and members of the Civilian JTF pursued the insurgents to Gur
area, around Mandafuma village where they engaged them in a fierce
battle which lasted for about two hours killing 41 members of the sect,
before beheading them and hanging their heads on sticks. The victorious
Civilian JTF members displayed the heads of their victims as the
returned to Biu amid fanfare.
A member of the Civilian JTF, Umar Hassan who confirmed the incident
told Saturday Vanguard that, “we beheaded the insurgents after the shoot
out which lasted for about two hours and took their heads to Biu to
show the people that the Boko Haram insurgents are human and not beasts
and so, people should not fear them but instead, join hands with us and
security operatives to ensure that the sect members who are enemies of
Islam and the people of Nigerians are defeated.”
Umar further said that when his members heard that the insurgents
went to attack Sabon Gari, where people were just returning to their
homes after three months of exile as internally displaced persons in
various camps across the state, they moved in quickly to foil their
action pointing out that troops had however arrived the area before
them, hence both groups joined hands to defeat them.
“After the insurgents were repelled, they headed towards Mandafuma in
Biu local government and took the route to Gur village in an attempt to
escape, but again the military and our members ambushed them.
“They were engaged in fierce battle with the soldiers and 41 of them
were killed, 1 am alive, no soldier was killed in the ambush. After they
were killed we cut off their heads and took them. We asked the people
of Biu to stand against the Boko Haram fighters, who are now destroying
our villages despite the supposedly ceasefire agreement with
government,” he added.