Vigilance group kills three female suicide bombers

Army arrests council boss allegedly linked with B’ Haram
Three female suicide bombers were yesterday shot dead by members of a vigilante group while attempting to enter the Gulak market in the Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State

The Chairman of the local government, Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed, who confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the vigilantes on patrol around the Bakin Dutse area, sighted the suspected suicide bombers from a distance. They were ordered to stop, but they refused.

“The shots by the vigilantes detonated the explosives on two of the suspected bombers.

“Although the explosive device on the third suspect did not set off, the explosion of the devices on the two other suspects killed her.

“We suspect the bombers were on their way to Gulak market as today is the market day,” Mohammed said.

When contacted, the spokesman of the 28 Task-Force Battalion, Mubi, Maj. Akintoye Badare, confirmed the incident, which he said occurred at about 10: 00 am.

In a related development, the Nigerian Army has also confirmed the arrest of the Chairman of Mafa Local Government in Borno State, Alhaji Shettima Lawan, for alleged link with the Boko Haram terrorists.

The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.- Gen. Lucky Irabor, made the confirmation during a news conference at the headquarters of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Maiduguri.

“All I can say is that the chairman is a big supporter of Boko Haram.

“We heard that he harboured Boko Haram members along with his father, because the father begged him to do so.

“The chairman was in the habit of accommodating people that had fled from the bush.

“At some point he was valuable to us being with the civilian JTF to fight Boko Haram. But that does not mean we cannot investigate him.

“We have also arrested the vice chairman of Kaga Local Government and he is undergoing interrogation,” Irabor said.

He disclosed that 11 Boko Haram terrorists and kidnappers were arrested while 1, 400 other suspects surrendered in various military operations in Borno and Gombe states. The suspects are undergoing interrogations and profiling.

One of the arrested at Lafiya Lamurde, Gombe State is number 164 on the recent wanted list of the army. He has been with Boko Haram in the forest for four years.He said that the 10 Boko Haram terrorists that were paraded are to undergo de-radicalization programme, before being integrated into the society.

Meanwhile, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Armoured Division, Jos, Major – General Peter Dauke, has warned the public not to take chances in terms of security despite the fact that the Camp Zero in Sambisa Forest, has fallen to the superior fire power of the military.

Dauke gave the warning yesterday when he visited the Director – General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Headquarters in Jos, Sir Joe Ari. He said that there was the need for people to be security conscious.

The GOC said that the warning becomes imperative because of the likelihood of the insurgents infiltrating the civil society.