Army arrests fake Civilian-JTF using GOC’s name to extort Maiduguri residents

By Blogger 

Fake Boko Civilian-JTF who use names of Army
Officers to extorts relatives of arrested Boko Haram suspect 

A cartel of fake Civilian-JTF operatives who extort funds from family members of arrested Boko  Haram terrorists while dropping the names of top army Generals, including the General Officer Commanding 7 Division Maiduguri has been arrested and exposed by the army in Maiduguri, Borno state. 

The ring of fraudulent Civilian-JTF operatives were arrested last week by soldiers after ample information about their illicit operations were reported to the army authority at the 7 Division. 

According to the Spokesman of the Army at the 7 Division, Colonel Tukur Gusau, three leaders of the notorious criminal suspects were arrested and after thorough investigations confessed to the crime

He said the army in Maiduguri has arrested "three persons, namely, Alhaji Baba of Gwange area, Abubakar Tijjani Lawal of London Chiki and Umar Ali of Gidan Dambe of Maiduguri who claim to be members of Civilian-JTF using the name of the GOC 7 Division Nigeria Army, Major General Lamidi Adeosun and other senior officers in the theatre of operations to extort funds, from relations and friends of those being investigated by the Division for terrorism and related offences. 

Describing such actions as criminal and capable of bringing disrepute to the success being recorded by the joint efforts of the Nigeria Army under Major General Adeosun as well as the Nigeria Airforce in the ongoing operation Lafiya Dole, Colonel Gusau said in his two paged statement called on the general public to be wary of such criminals and report suspects to the nearest military base or any security outfit. 

Army arrests, parades Boko Haram fuel suppliers 

The Boko Haram Chief Fuel Supplier (4th right) and some of his
three fuel filling station collaborators 

The 7 Division, Nigeria Army in Maiduguri has yesterday made another breakthrough in the ongoing military efforts to dislodge Boko Haram terrorists when it arrested a gang of individuals whose jobs is to ensure the insurgents don't run out of fuel supply in their bush enclaves, officials said. 

The group who used large  improvised tanks secretly constructed under vehicles have record of delving at least 500 litres of fuel daily to power the vehicles and generating plants of the Boko Haram insurgents. 

At the centre of the crime was one Bashir Ali, whose major preoccupation is coming into the town and ensure that he filled his secret tanks and other containers which he ferried back to the bushes where he delivered same to the Boko Haram masters. 

Colonel Tukur Gusau disclosed that the suspected "was arrested at a filling station in Maiduguri while using a Peugeot 504 vehicle fabricated with extended 500 litres tank capacity. During interrogation, Mr Ali confessed that he used the vehicle to ferry up to 3000 litres of Petroleum products every day". 

Colonel Gusau said further investigation that may lead to his Boko Haram customers is still on going and more information would be made public in due course.