Explosives kill two civilian JTF members in Borno

Two members of the Borno State Civilian Joint Task Force were killed and eight others injured by an improvised explosive device on Tuesday at Mafa town, Mafa Local Government Area.

Eyewitnesses told newsmen in Maiduguri, on Wednesday, that the incident happened while the quasi military operatives were on their routine operations along Mafa/Konduga LG axis when they drove over the IED suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram terrorists.

“It happened around 4pm when the CJTF members were out on their routine operation driving in their vehicle through a bush path between Mafa and Konduga,” an official of the CJTF in Maiduguri confirmed to The PUNCH.

“Two of them died on the spot while eight sustained serious injuries and were immediately rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for treatment,” the official added.

A statement from the information unit of Mafa LG, had earlier quoted the  Local Government Chairman, Goni Gonibe, as confirming the incident, describing it as “a great loss to the fight against insecurity in the state.”

The two deceased CJTF members were buried in Mafa town immediately on Tuesday, according to Islamic rites

The burial, according to the statement, was attended by the LGA Chairman, Goni Gonibe; the member representing Mafa at the State House of Assembly, Baba Ali Modu; the LG Secretary, Alhaji Sale Bukar; and some top ranking military officers of the Operation Hadin Kai Theater Command.

Immediately after the burial, the LGA chairman, his entourage and other sympathisers visited the UMTH to commiserate with those injured and assured their families of proper medical care for them.

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