Troops arrest Borno youths travelling to Abuja

The Defence headquarters has said soldiers have accosted 51 youth travelling from Borno state to Abuja on Wednesday night in Plateau state. A statement by Defence spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade said: “Officers of the Special Task Force are currently trying to unravel the motive for the movement of some youths from Maiduguri heading to […]

The Defence headquarters has said soldiers have accosted 51 youth travelling from Borno state to Abuja on Wednesday night in Plateau state.

A statement by Defence spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade said: “Officers of the Special Task Force are currently trying to unravel the motive for the movement of some youths from Maiduguri heading to Abuja at about 3am when they were accosted in Plateau State on Wednesday.”

He said the youth, 51 in number were under the guidance of a lady, while being conveyed in 3 eighteen-seater mass transit buses when they were intercepted along Babale in Plateau state as they journeyed from Maiduguri to Abuja in the night.

General Olukolade also said: “during the interrogation that followed, they claimed they were being conveyed to Abuja on the directives of a Borno State Government official to meet their relatives for assistance in an economic empowerment programme.  The official is yet to respond to series of efforts to verify the claims.”

He further said: “The issue is being investigated to ascertain the genuine mission of such a team of young persons moving in the night.”

General Olukolade noted that the youths have made contradictory statements as to the sponsorship of their mission to Abuja. 

The movement is being assessed in the light of the security situation and the suspicious claims of the youths, the defence headquarters statement said.