Who are Borno’s ‘Civilian JTF’?

Armed with sticks, swords, bows, arrows, and in rare occasions Dane guns, thousands of youth in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital conquered their fear in mid-2013 and joined the war against Boko Haram. In the past year, the group known as ‘Civilian JTF’ has become quite famous, when they worked with various security agencies to […]

Armed with sticks, swords, bows, arrows, and in rare occasions Dane guns, thousands of youth in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital conquered their fear in mid-2013 and joined the war against Boko Haram. In the past year, the group known as ‘Civilian JTF’ has become quite famous, when they worked with various security agencies to track and capture suspected members of the Boko Haram sect. Before then, Maiduguri was synonymous with violent attacks of many kinds. Constant gun attacks and bombings prompted Presdient Goodluck Jonathan to declare a State of Emergency in May, 2013, which ushered in tighter security measures, including the deployment of troops from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Customs, Immigration, Police and the State Security Service (SSS).
While the security personnel did their best in containing the insurgency, violence prevailed, affecting social and economic lives of citizens. Part of the reasons offered by military operation commanders and image-makers were that troops were executing an unconventional war, fighting with an enemy that lived among an unsuspecting public in a densely populated city. During the period, insurgents picked specific targets and launched attacks with precision, only to disappear and appear again, continuing wave after wave of violence. Maiduguri was labeled an ‘unsafe city’.
While the onslaught went on, security operatives began to point accusing fingers at residents in Maiduguri, in places like Ruwan Zafi, Lawan Bukar, Kasuwar Gwoza, Hausari, Shehuri, Kofa Biyu, Kula Gumna, Zajeri, Lamisula, Gamboru, Budun and other densely populated areas, seeing residents as accomplices to the insurgents who curiously disappear through countless alleys in the neighborhoods after attacks.
The situation persisted, and residents continued to suffer, sometimes caught in the crossfire between security operatives and Boko Haram members. In the ensuing confusion, the insurgents kept widening their targets to the extent that virtually everybody was a target. Residents bore the brunt, as the emergency rule came with restrictions and highways linking Maiduguri and other parts of Borno such as Bama and Damboa were closed, with GSM communication service cut off.
The then Joint Task Force (JTF) troops intensified their campaign against the insurgents and in the process innocent civilians, especially the youth, were considered as suspects. Whenever Boko Haram members attacked, JTF  soldiers would cordon the general area and nab every youth in sight, with results better imagined.
 The birth of the civilian JTF
While the campaign against Boko Haram went on, hundreds of innocent youth ended up in detention camps of various security operatives in Maiduguri and other places. This was in addition to the arrest of actual suspects. Observers believe that this alleged “brutality” coming from the then JTF troops coupled with extreme hardship caused by the declaration of State of Emergency prompted youths in Maiduguri to rise fearlessly against Boko Haram sect members by cobbling together what would be known today as ‘Civilian JTF’.
It all started in Hausari area, where with increased pressure from security operatives and merciless attacks by Boko Haram, the youth mobilized themselves and decided to thenceforth apprehend any insurgent who crosses the area en route the Monday Market or Babban Layi for robberies or the usual drive-by bombings or shootings.
Baba Lawan Jafar, the then overall Chairman of the ‘Civilian JTF’ in Borno State, was the first youth who fearlessly chased a gunman, with only a stick in May, 2013, successfully capturing him and handing him to soldiers. Afterwards, Jafar’s friend, one Modu Milo was impressed by the brave act and decided to join the hunt. Though seen as heroes by some, others see them as “alarm blowers” in a negative sense and therefore distanced themselves to avoid the wrath of Boko Haram. But two weeks later, Jafar and Milo were still alive, hale and hearty. So, within a short time, dozens of youths joined them.
The coming of the ‘Civilian JTF’ was therefore a great setback to Boko Haram, even though many youth paid the supreme price for going against the insurgents. For instance, after the brave move by Jafar, Boko Haram staged a mock funeral procession and approached Hausari with concealed weapons. The insurgents opened fire on unsuspecting residents, killing many, including a 90-year-old woman and a nine-year-old girl all in the name of reprisal. 
But that did not stop the ‘Civilian JTF’, which later extended the fight against insurgents to local government areas like Benisheik, Damboa, Konduga, Bama, Dikwa, Gamboru Ngala, and Monguno, among others. Of course, casualty would follow and along the line many of them were ambushed and killed by Boko Haram. The result, however, is that Boko Haram’s activities in Maiduguri have been significantly lessened.
A youth who is among the first members of the ‘Civilian JTF’ and who does not want to be named explained the motivation behind their coming together. “We’ve passed many stages in Maiduguri, many of them terrible by nature and caused by Boko Haram. They pushed us to the wall and we had to bite back, so to speak,” he said, adding that they swore to the Holy Qur’an to expose them. “It worked,” he said, citing an example of an attempted robbery incident by the vengeful insurgents which was ultimately thwarted.
He narrated: “In late May last year, some gunmen came to a shop in Babban Layi business district with the intention to rob, but were resisted. When we realized they had no ammo in their guns, we floored them and collected their guns, tied them up and handed them over to nearby soldiers. Later in the day, the soldiers came to thank us and urged us to continue doing we’re doing.” That was how the idea of “community policing” by the ‘Civilian JTF’ spread to other areas across Maiduguri, leading to hundreds of Boko Haram members being apprehended. This also led to the opening of a register by the military JTF for the youth, who by then had already organized themselves into sectors, much like what obtains in military circles.
Hyeladzira Malgwi, a school teacher in Maiduguri wondered how life would have been without the ‘Civilian JTF’ and thanked God for their rise. “They are God-sent, especially since they’re complementing the efforts of soldiers,” he said adding that between 2009 and 2013 when Boko Haram became venomous, the sect mingled with regular citizens and therefore had a field day, killing at will and sneaking out. “But when the youth rose against them, the era of shoot-and-run ended. The youth also inspired others to refuse to tolerate the choking violence, to the extent that it will be very difficult for insurgents to come back to Maiduguri and do what they did before.”
While hundreds of ‘Civilian JTF’ members are illiterate, many have degrees, diplomas and NCE certificates.  Some are into business of all kinds and some are artisans and come from all walks of life.
Resurgence of attacks in Maiduguri
Despite collaboration between security operatives and the ‘Civilian JTF’, observers believe that attacks are gradually resurfacing. Yakubu Mustapha, a businessman said the bulk of the blame goes to the security agencies who have failed to sincerely take the war to the terrorists in the forests and mountains. “The federal government must also be blamed for failing to equip soldiers,” he added.
On the 2nd of December, 2013, Boko Haram launched a deadly attack on the 29 Composite Group of the Nigeria Air Force and the 333 Artillery Brigade in Maiduguri, signifying their defiant move to stage a comeback in Maiduguri. Then on 14th January, 2014 over 40 people lost their lives, while 50 others sustained injuries when a bomb-laden car exploded near the GSM village in Maiduguri; a development which heightened fears that the Boko Haram insurgents were returning to Maiduguri, shattering the relative peace that reigned for nearly a year. Saturday, 1st March, 2014, saw the insurgents inching closer to Maiduguri when over 50 were confirmed killed following twin blasts in Gomari area. And on Friday, 14th March, 2014, fear took over when Boko Haram attacked the 21 Armored Brigade’s barracks in Giwa, Maiduguri, setting free hundreds of suspects from detention cells within the military formation.
The jailbreak was the deadliest encounter between troops, insurgents and thousands of ‘Civilian JTF’ who stormed the streets and apprehended the fleeing suspects. The encounter left in its wake the death of a staggering 500 people, comprised mostly of fleeing insurgents.
But one thing that is clear is that the insurgents have once again penetrated Maiduguri, as evident in what happened on Tuesday, 25th March, 2014 when two suicide bombers attacked a checkpoint, killing five policemen.
Regulating the ‘Civilian JTF’
Though the ‘Civilian JTF’ are seen to be doing good, some residents said some of the youths are overzealous.  Hajiya Yagana Muazu, a former Commissioner of Poverty Alleviation said she narrowly escaped death in their hands during the recent Giwa Barracks attack. She said two of her guards were lynched by youth at Bulumkutu when they were seen with a Dane gun while fleeing with her, alongside her children. She explained that that is why she is calling on the Borno State government to regulate the activities of the ‘Civilian JTF’. But the legal adviser of the group, Barrister Jibrin Gunda said he was certain that the former commissioner was attacked by mob, and not ‘Civilian JTF’. “Their activities are regulated through a distinct chain of command.”
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Borno State, Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan says despite some shortcomings, the state government had recognized the role being played by the ‘Civilian JTF’. According to him, In 2013, the state government in collaboration with security agencies summoned the youth and trained 1,678 of them so far. “The target is to train at least 20,000 and provide them with various jobs.” The programme is known as Borno Youth Empowerment Scheme (BOYES). Most recently, Governor Kashim Shettima purchased 30 vehicles for the group in order to encourage them. They are to work closely with other security personnel to beef up security.
But what happens when peace inevitably returns? Barrister Lawan said the ‘Civilian JTF’ have amongst them degree holders, NCE holders and Diploma holders and will be deployed to do meaningful work when the time comes. “For those that do not have any qualifications, we’ll give them seed money so that they can start a business of their choice,” he said, adding that others will be given special training to become farmers, firemen and road traffic officers, while others would be encouraged to join the Army, Police and para-military services. He said: “If I’m to rate them, I’d score them 95 percent. In spite of challenges – youthful exuberance, anger, etc. – which makes them behave a certain way, they have proven to the world that they are eager to help in sustaining peace. And most importantly, they are not corrupt.”