Adamawa To Train 10,000 Local Hunters To Fight Boko Haram

Adamawa State Governor James Ngilari

The Adamawa state government has taken the defence of its people against Boko Haram attacks into its own hands.

The government is set to train 10,000 local hunters, vigilantes and civilian JTF who would then be enlisted to reclaim towns taken by the terrorists. The training will ensure that the activities of the locals would be well planned and rules of engagement followed.
Governor Bala James Ngilari made this known on Monday through his spokesman, Mr PP Elisha, after he held an emergency meeting with security chiefs in the state.
According to Elisha, at least 10,000 hunters will be enlisted in the scheme as members of the local vigilante known as the Civilian JTF, to fortify the towns and aid the security forces in dislodging the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.
The group will be called “Civilian JTF”.
He however made it clear that their job was to assist the security operatives. “That is why they sometimes join the military at the check points,” he explained. “This does not give them a licence to take laws into their hands by harassing or arresting innocent members of the society.”
The vigilantes, local hunters and the Civilian JTF recently showed what they are capable of when they reportedly drove insurgents out of Mubi. However, with other areas like Hong local government still being occupied by insurgents, there is more to be done and the state government will be hoping the training and official enlistment will translate into even more success in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the state.