From Yakubu Busari Jos
The Commander Operation Safe Heaven, STF, Major General Augustine Agundu has paraded one suspected member of Boko Haram terrorist in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau state, including suspected car thieves, cultist robbery gangs, gun runners, suspected kidnappers, and suspected militia group that attack Bokkos, Mangu where no fewer than 30 people were killed recently.
STF Commander while briefing journalists at the headquarters in Tuesday said, arrested Mr Umar Musa Tello who was nabbed by the Joint Security Task Force under operation Safe Heaven in Plateau State, told security personnel that he was tired of being a member of the terrorist group and wanted to denounce his membership. He confessed fleeing membership of Boko Haram.
The under- aged Umar Musa Tello “confessed that other fleeing members of the terrorist group have fled to other states and advised the general public to be vigilant because those who escaped from the camp of the terrorists have scattered across the 36 states and Abuja.”
Tello revealed that he “left the camp because of too much hardship being experienced while in the terrorist camp.”
The task force Commander, Maj. Gen. Agundu, while parading suspects for various heinous crimes perpetrate in the State, told the citizens that the fleeing Boko Haram was apprehended by the troops on patrol around Zawuran village in Bassa Local Government Area of the State, where they found him loitering.
Major General Agundu, said; “the terrorist confessed to have fled from Damagum village in Yobe State due to the ongoing crackdown by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole”.
“The suspect revealed that he was a fighter with the Boko Haram terrorist group for upwards of three years but decided to abscond the group due to extreme hardship while at the terrorist camp”.
“He claimed that his uncle by name Mr. Ibrahim, invited him to Abuja to start menial jobs to make ends meet, adding that other fighters have equally absconded and dispersed around Abuja and Plateau State.
The OPSH commander disclosed that as part of their duty they were able to gather useful and credible information that can be useful to the people of Nigeria on activities of the Boko Haram insurgents.
The commander warned that there won’t be free space for criminal elements in Plateau State and it’s environs, adding that the JTOPSH, is battle ready to “fish out those who never want us to enjoy peaceful co-existence in the states.
Agundu restated the commitment of personnel of the STF to restoration of peace with the recent crackdown on those who attacked Mangu and Bokkos LGAs, leading to the death of 30 persons when “the criminal element went to rustle cows and the community came out in self- defense”
General Agundu maintained that the OPSH will remain resolute to the actualization of the Chief of Defence Staff operational mandate even in the face of obvious setbacks.
He cautioned that, “The strategic guidance of the Service Chiefs to maintain respective posture has equally gingered troops to aggressively pursue our mandate of protecting lives and properties”.
