Suspected Boko Haram Member Escapes Arrest at Buni Yadi
A suspected Boko Haram member, who feigned mental illness, escaped arrest at Buni Yadi town in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe on Tuesday, the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) has reported.
The Commander, 27 Task Force Brigade, Damaturu, Col. Usman Yusuf, gave the order to arrest the supposedly madman when he was sighted in one of the dilapidated buildings in the deserted town.
As troops advanced to carry out the order, the suspect, who wore a white garment with unkempt hair and was chanting some incantations, disappeared.
The incident occurred when the commander led journalists who were on a guided tour of towns recently liberated from Boko Haram insurgents, visited Buni Yadi to see things for themselves.
Yusuf however assured the journalists that the troops would fish out the suspect soon.
The suspect was believed to be on a surveillance mission for the insurgents but pretended to be insane.
Gujba and Gulani Local Government Areas in Yobe were captured by the insurgents in July 2014 and remained under their control for nine months.
There are 17 local governments in the state.
But Gujba including its headquarters Buni Yadi was liberated in the last few days, while operations to free Gulani were ongoing, according to Yusuf.
He described Buni Yadi as one of the strongholds of the insurgents in the state.
According to NAN, the terrorists blew up the only bridge linking the local government area with the state capital, Damaturu, and other towns shortly after they occupied the area.
Before retreating from Buni Yadi, they also burnt down most of the houses, schools, the local government secretariat, bus parks, the court, emir’s palace and market.
Apart from the troops on guard, the supposedly mentally ill man, a dog and a cat were the only living creatures sighted in the deserted town.
The commander listed other towns recaptured by the troops in the state to include: Fkayel, Gulani, tetteba, Bunsa, Bularafa, Kukuwa Geri and Buni Geri.