24 hour curfew imposed on Damaturu as JTF arrests 25 ‘terrorists’

The JTF say they will advise the government on when to relax the curfew

The Yobe State Joint Task Force, JTF, has conducted massive raids on various locations in Damaturu, the state capital, and arrested about 25 people suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect.

The spokesperson of the JTF, Lazarus Eli, who confirmed the incident in a telephone interview Saturday evening, said the inter agency outfit will continue the raids with a view to arresting insurgents who have made life in the state capital unbearable for residents.

“Our men have conducted search on residences suspected of being used by terrorists and we have arrested 25 of them and also recovered a lot of ammunition including automatic rifles, rocket propelled grenades, and other sophisticated weapons,” he said.

Mr. Eli said the JTF, a combined security team made up of military officers, police officers, and intelligence officials, will issue a statement giving details of the arrests and weapons recovered.

Meanwhile, a 24 hour curfew has been imposed on Damaturu as residents have been directed to return to their houses and await information from the government.

However, there is confusion as to who actually ordered for the curfew. A top official of the state government, who pleaded not to be named, said the state governor did not order for the curfew, saying it was the JTF who ordered the curfew in order to carry out successful raids.

 

Mr. Eli denied that the JTF ordered the curfew, but said the agency advised its imposition. He said the force would also advise the state government on the best time to relax the curfew.