Stranded Boko Haram militants turn human eaters in Borno

Dozens of suspected Boko Haram militants in Magumeri forest, Borno State have turned to human eaters after being stranded for days without food or water.
Magumeri forest is about 150 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital.
Mallam Momodu Bukar, a suspected militant, told newsmen on Saturday in Maiduguri that he fled the camp at the forest on Thursday when it became obvious that he was going to be eaten.
Bukar said: “I thank God that I escaped because I would have been slaughtered by now to provide meal for my colleagues at the camp.”
The suspected militant was captured by a Youth Vigilante Group, popularly known as the civilian JTF at Baga Road Motor Park, Maiduguri, on Friday.
He said the militants had been in the forest since May, when they were dislodged from Marte, Marte Local Government Area by the Joint Task Force on Operation Restore Order after the declaration of the State of Emergency.
He added: “Our group, consisting of about 300 well armed combatants, headed for Magumeri on the orders of the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, shortly before the military took over Marte Camp.
“We have been wandering in the forest.
“We have exhausted our food and water supply.
“And so, everybody became hungry.”
He also said that they lost contact with Shekau due to the closure of GSM services by the Defence Headquarters.
He said: “It all started last Monday when three of the combatants in camp died of acute hunger and it became obvious that all of us will die if action was not taken.
“The leader of the group, Abu Omar, directed that a non combatant member be slaughtered to provide meal for the rest.
“The meat provided meal for the combatant for just two days and another person was killed in the same manner on Wednesday.
“So, it became certain that I might be the next person since I am also a non combatant member.”
Bukar said he escaped after volunteering to help search for drinking water for the group in a nearby village.
He said: “I left the camp on Thursday evening after agreeing to fetch water from the village.
“After leaving the camp, I started running until I arrived at Magumeri town.
“So, I slept in the motor park before boarding a vehicle to Maiduguri with the little money on me.”
Bukar said that he was apprehended immediately he arrived at the motor park in Maiduguri by the youth vigilante group.
Commenting, an official of the vigilante group, Mallam Ajid Asheik, said the suspect would be handed to the JTF on ORO for investigation.

Niger, Nigeria forces foil regroup of terrorists

The plan by a band of terrorists who relocated to Niger Republic to remobilize and rearm insurgents with the aim of carrying out fresh terrorists attacks on some Nigerian communities has been foiled.
A statement on Thursday by the spokesman of the Defence Headquarters, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, said the leader of the group who, had fled Nigeria when the terrorist camps were sacked, was reportedly recruiting fresh hands and training them for renewed terrorist activities in Nigeria.
The intention of the group was to focus its attacks on some towns around the Nigeria-Niger Republic border.
Olukolade said intelligence operatives of the Multi-National Joint Task Force had been on the trail of the leader until he was eventually arrested in Karanga, Niger Republic on Saturday, with the cooperation of Nigerien forces.
His other accomplices were later picked up in other villages in Nigeria.
Olukolade said they are currently being interrogated.

Why arrested criminals return to society in Edo – Police boss

The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Foluso Adebanjo, says the
command should not blamed on why some suspected criminals often return
to the society without prosecution.
Adebanjo told the News Agency of Nigeria in Benin City, the Edo State
capital, on Sunday that there was the need to overhaul the state
justice department to correct the anomaly.
He said the police mandate was to prevent crime and to arrest
suspected criminals, adding: “We are not responsible for why arrested
suspects often return to the society.
“That observation was made when I took over as the commissioner in the
state and I promptly reported this observation to the governor, who
was angry over the incidents.
“I suggested the need for the overhaul of the justice department and
we met with the Commissioner for Justice as well as the Chief Judge of
the state on our observation.
“We are now collaborating on this in our determination to reduce acts
of criminality in the state.
“This observation is not likely to reoccur again.”
The commissioner said the command arrested no fewer than 100 suspected
criminals in the last two months for alleged rape, cultism, armed
robbery and kidnapping.
On the aiding of crime by officers and men, Adebanjo said that anyone
found wanting would be disciplined, adding: “We have no place for
corrupt and indisciplined officer in the command.
“I have often preached the need for everybody in the command to follow
the Inspector-General’s directive of zero-tolerance for crime at all
times.
“So, if any officer is found to run foul of the law, he or she will be
disciplined according to the laws.
“The Edo command is determined to ensure that it continues to make the
state uncomfortable for criminals at all times and to assure the
people of their safety and security
“I, therefore, expect my officers to be up and doing in carrying out
this mandate.
“I often lead patrol to the forest and other criminal hideouts.
“So, I do not expect anything less from any officer of the command.”