Despite efforts by security agencies to stem the recurrent invasion of parts of Benue state by armed Fulani herdsmen, no fewer than 17 persons have been killed in Akough village in Guma local government area of the state by suspected Fulani mercenaries.
The armed herdsmen also razed Akough market, where some persons were also killed.
Also some members of insurgent group, the Joint Task Force (JTF) handed over to Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state, in a confessional statement said that they used to spy for the sect on the movement of the JTF and that were paid N5,000 after any successful operatione yesterday.
Saturday Vanguard gathered from eyewitnesses that the armed attackers stormed the village three days ago at the early hours of the day, burning down houses and huts, leaving several persons dead while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The development has forced several hundreds of people to flee their homes for fear of being attacked in another onslaught.
Also, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday, counselled the Federal Government that dialogue with the members of Boko Haram sect and other aggrieved elements in the country remains the only solution to resolving the current impasse.
Alhaji Abubakar who made this known at the Rotary International Conference, organized by District 9125-Nigeria, at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, said, there was need to engage aggrieved groups in dialogue while taking decisive security measures to protect innocent people.
Cattle Meanwhile, the intensive cordon and search operation being conducted on members of Boko Haram by the troops of the Special Forces received a major boost as the Defence headquarters announced yesterday that a group of terrorists moving from village to village in search of large quantity of food were tracked and apprehended at Daban Masara with weapons such as AK 47 rifle, single barrel shotgun, double hand shotgun and various calibres of ammunition recovered from them, following a tip-off from civilians.
The Defence Headquarters in its statement said: “The group which was moving around in a Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep with registration number Borno XA 428 ADM which is suspected to have been stolen. They were eventually arrested at Daban Masara with weapons such as AK 47 rifle, single barrel shotgun, double hand shotgun and various calibres of ammunition.
“In other locations, a total of 56 identified insurgents were apprehended with the help of Military Police dogs.
Another teenager who also confessed said that he was given petrol and matches to burn schools and that after every operation,he was being paid N5,000, adding that when he was arrested, he revealed his sponsors to the JTF and they were promptly arrested.
“Items recovered from the arrested insurgents include, 7 packs of IEDs, 2 rocket propelled gun chargers, a rifle magazine, and 2 machetes.
“Others are bomb detonators, camouflage and other military uniforms as well as medicines, equipment, charms, 7 vehicles including a Jeep and 8 tri-cycles”.
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