Boko Haram kills 20

Suspected Boko Haram members at the
weekend shot dead more than 20 civilians
in northern Borno State, a military
spokesman said yesterday.
"The suspected sect members came
armed and fired sporadic shots that killed
over 20 innocent civilians," Lt. Haruna
Mohammed Sani, spokesman for the
Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF)
said.
The violence took place on Saturday in
Dawashe village, the army lieutenant said
in a statement.
He said men from the Civilian Joint Task
Force, a vigilance group formed in Boko
Haram's bastion Maiduguri, to combat the
Islamist gunmen who have been
terrorising the region for many years,
entered Dawashe to search for suspects.
The suspected Boko Haram members
subsequently opened fire in the village,
the spokesman said, adding that the 20
victims were mostly fishermen and
traders.
Sani said a dozen other civilians sustained
gunshot wounds during the incident but
provided no information on casualties
among the belligerents.
The toll and circumstances of the incident
could not be immediately verified
independently.
Among those killed were five members of
the "Civilian JTF" who were on a manhunt
for Boko Haram in Mainok town, 58km
west of Maiduguri.
The attack on the "Civilian JTF" was the
first since the group took courage to hunt
down Boko Haram in the state in the last
two months.
It was also confirmed that a heavily
armed Quick Reaction Squad from MNJTF
had been deployed to ensure the safety
of lives and property in the area.
Dawashi, Daban-Masara and Malan karanti
villages are believed to be the stronghold
of the insurgent.
The MNJTF said: "As part of the excellent
Civil-Military Relations and humanitarian
gesture demonstrated by Multinational
Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a dozen of Boko
Haram victims affected by the attack in
Dawashe District of Kukawa Local
Government, got medical treatment in
the Headquarters Field Ambulance in
Baga town".
Some members of the "Civilian JTF" also
confirmed to reporters in Maiduguri that
five of their members who were killed are
from Ajilari, Ngomari Airport and
Bulumkutu Ward of Maiduguri
Metropolitan.
A member, Aliko Musa said: "it was a
huge loss to us, some of our brave
colleagues were killed yesterday by the
outlawed Boko Haram; they paid the
supreme price when we visited Mainok
village in search of the terrorists but we
shall not relent", he added.
Spokesman for the JTF, Lt Col Sagir Musa
however denied the figure even as he
confirmed the Mainok attack. According
to him, only one of the Youth Volunteers
died while another sustained injuries.
The MNJTF, a joint military force set up in
1998 to combat border crimes, consists of
troops from Nigeria, Chad and Niger.