1,773 CJTF operatives die fighting terrorists

• Published date: 22 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

NO fewer than 1,773 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) have died while fighting Boko Haram and Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists in the North East Zone.

According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Chairman of CJTF, Babashehu Abdulganiu, made this known yesterday during an interview in Maiduguri.

Abdulganiu said CJTF operatives paid the supreme price while fighting terrorists along with the military in their enclaves in Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad area.

He said that some died repelling attacks on Maiduguri while others sacrificed their lives by hugging suicide bombers during attempts to attack innocent people.

Abdulganiu said the deaths were recorded between 2012 and 2022, adding that in spite of the high casualty figure, CJTF remained resolute in its determination to support the military in ridding the state of terrorists.

According to him, the group which is now backed by law started out of necessity to stamp out bad elements who usually cause havoc within Maiduguri metropolis

'It started in 2012 when our youths picked up sticks and said no more Boko Haram and we successfully pushed the terrorist group out of Maiduguri to their enclaves in Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad.

'In 2015, the Borno State Government established the Borno Youths Empowerment Scheme (BOYES), where the 23,000 Civilian Joint Task Force members were enlisted as security vanguards, trained by the military, and screened by the Department of State Security.

'During the screening exercises, those involved in drug abuses or criminality or those that were convicted before were screened out.

'This was to make sure that we do not recruit bad eggs into our midst.

'We adopted military-like structures that were existing as Sectors.

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'So we deployed our men to occupy the checkpoints from Sector 1 to Sector 10,' he said

He said that the establishment of BOYES whose members were paid monthly allowances...