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Regional News of Thursday, 29 April 2021

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Boko Haram recruits residents in Yobe for N20,000

Boko Haram fighters Boko Haram fighters

Report indicates that Boko Haram has begun to recruit residents of Geidam, Yobe State, with cash gifts with the aim of getting them to join their faction.

It was reported that as of Tuesday evening, N20,000 has been shared to over 50 households.

The insurgents who stormed the local government area on Friday evening, April 23, 2021, has since taken over the territory making it difficult for the military to recapture.

Among other things, the sect destroyed private and public properties, including telecommunications facilities, but abstained from hurting civilians.

Information indicates that Boko Haram has hoisted their flag and distributed leaflets, inviting residents to join their group.

“My people are helpless, you can’t imagine that as a full Nigerian citizen you can be at the mercy of Boko Haram for the past 24 hours and nobody cares to do anything about it,” lamented Lawan Shettima, the federal lawmaker representing the locality, on Saturday, disputing claims that the Nigerian military had dealt a heavy blow to the invaders.

Many residents of the town have fled, including the state capital Damaturu. One of them, Rawana Usman, said the terrorists killed two Christian employees of a non-governmental organisation in his neighbourhood.

“They were going round houses targeting Christians, NGO workers and those that are educated in the western schools,” he said.

“When I heard of the selective killings, I couldn’t resist, I left abruptly. I can say that there were soldiers engaging them. They have been doing their best to push out the terrorists, but I can tell you that these boys were moving normally in the town up to the time I left.”

“Although its leadership has been largely ethnic Kanuri, ISWAP has recruited significantly among lacustrine communities, notably the ethnic Buduma, many of whom earn a living from fishing,” the group wrote.