Nigerian soldiers shoot five vigilante youths, better known as Civilian JTF, in an encounter in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.
The lethal shootings supposedly occurred after the vigilantes wanted to check a lorry in which the soldiers were carrying arms to their barracks.
A fuming member of the vigilante group told the Sahara Reporters that the struggle begun when some of their members stopped a convoy of the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army with headquarters in Maiduguri.
The soldiers were allegedly escorting ammunition in a private commercial trailer.
“We were asked to block most of the major roads within the town as a security precaution against any attack that might be planned during the visit of the APC presidential candidate, retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari,” the vigilante worker said.
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Buhari, who is APC presidential candidate incoming poll, had campaigned in Maiduguri yesterday.
The witness added: “Five of our members were shot dead and several others received serious injuries. This is not acceptable that soldiers should kill our members. After all, we are all working to safeguard the lives of citizenry.”
It was gathered that the soldiers had rejected the vigilantes’ request to inspect a trailer that was conveying arms. Then the soldiers shot when some of the vigilante youths climbed the vehicle to check its cargo.
A senior military officer in Maiduguri said he had yet to be informed on what happened, but assured that an inquiry was ongoing. He added that any soldiers found to have unlawfully shot civilians would be punished.
According to the security source, the army had contracted a trailer to transport some ammunition when the initial army vehicle transporting the weapon developed a mechanical on the road.
General Buhari’s campaign train stopped in Maiduguri, yesterday, February 17th. A huge crowd of supporters even broke a gate at the main entrance to the venue of rally.
The youth also vandalised and torched several campaign offices and posters of the Peoples Democratic Party.
It was also reported that two cars were arrested with weapons, ammunitions and explosives in Maiduguri.
The lethal shootings supposedly occurred after the vigilantes wanted to check a lorry in which the soldiers were carrying arms to their barracks.
A fuming member of the vigilante group told the Sahara Reporters that the struggle begun when some of their members stopped a convoy of the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army with headquarters in Maiduguri.
The soldiers were allegedly escorting ammunition in a private commercial trailer.
“We were asked to block most of the major roads within the town as a security precaution against any attack that might be planned during the visit of the APC presidential candidate, retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari,” the vigilante worker said.
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Buhari, who is APC presidential candidate incoming poll, had campaigned in Maiduguri yesterday.
The witness added: “Five of our members were shot dead and several others received serious injuries. This is not acceptable that soldiers should kill our members. After all, we are all working to safeguard the lives of citizenry.”
It was gathered that the soldiers had rejected the vigilantes’ request to inspect a trailer that was conveying arms. Then the soldiers shot when some of the vigilante youths climbed the vehicle to check its cargo.
A senior military officer in Maiduguri said he had yet to be informed on what happened, but assured that an inquiry was ongoing. He added that any soldiers found to have unlawfully shot civilians would be punished.
According to the security source, the army had contracted a trailer to transport some ammunition when the initial army vehicle transporting the weapon developed a mechanical on the road.
General Buhari’s campaign train stopped in Maiduguri, yesterday, February 17th. A huge crowd of supporters even broke a gate at the main entrance to the venue of rally.
The youth also vandalised and torched several campaign offices and posters of the Peoples Democratic Party.
It was also reported that two cars were arrested with weapons, ammunitions and explosives in Maiduguri.
