Boko Haram member confesses to killing 23 in 2 days •50 detained members promise to assist govt

A member of the Boko Haram sect, who was arrested in Maiduguri, Borno State, shocked the people of Ngomari ward “Bakin Borehole” in Maiduguri, when he confessed to killing 23 people in two days, including slaughtering a village head and police officers in the area.
The member, who was arrested on Tuesday evening, was said to have relocated about a year ago and rented a one-room apartment, living as an innocent citizen in search of safe haven in the state capital.
A resident of Ngomari, who pleaded anonymity, told the Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday that the sect member was arrested wearing a Jeans trouser and a vest when he went out to fetch water.
According to the resident, the sect member was arrested by “Civilian JTF,” adding that his arrest was made possible when the vigilance youth arrested his younger brother who, in turn, took them to Ngomari, where his brother was living.
“We were shocked when we heard that Civilian JTF came and arrested a sect member in our area.
“We have never imagined we could have somebody like that in our area, because we have been living peacefully.
“We were the most shocked when the sect member confessed that he killed 23 people in two days. That is horrible and unimaginable, but a reality,” he said.
Meanwhile, the “Civilian JTF” was seen on Wednesday in front of the house of one of the politicians in Maiduguri at about 7.15 a.m, barely 24 hours after it was reported that the youth group went hunting for the politician for allegedly sponsoring terrorism in the state.
In another development, some members of the dreaded sect have promised the presidential committee on dialogue and peaceful resolution of security challenges in the North to collaborate with the government to put an end to the continued bloodletting.
During a visit of the presidential committee on dialogue and peaceful resolution of security challenges in the North to a detention site in Maiduguri, on Tuesday, over 50 detained members of the sect said if they were given a chance, they would assist authorities to end the crisis.
One of the detainees, Adam Konto, introduced himself to the chairman of the committee, Kabir Taminu Turaki, as the commander of the Bayan quarter, adding that they were ready not to pick up arms against the nation again.
“Most of us were brainwashed and recruited into the sect and given dastardly acts to do without our full understanding of what we were doing,” he said.
Another detainee, who identified himself as Babagana Saje, while also expressing his readiness to denounce the sect, said the police should be commended for keeping them alive.
Nigeria winning against terrorism —COAS
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Azubuike Ihejirika, on Wednesday, took a look at the performance of the Nigerian Army in the ongoing war against terrorism, saying the country is winning the war.
The army chief spoke in Akure, Ondo State capital, at the inauguration of the headquarters of the 32 Artillery Brigade.
Also in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, during the routine facility visit to Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, headquarters of the 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Odogbo, he said a lot of progress is being made to achieve peace in Nigeria, just as he reiterated the determination of the army to ensure violence was reduced in the nation.
Ihejirika said the state of emergency declared in three states of the northern part of the country had ensured significant achievements in the war against terrorism.
He noted that although the Nigerian Army had lost some men and equipment in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgents, the nation was winning the war.
“The troops on the ground are doing a very good job in our quest to rid the country of insurgents, but the battle is not over, more efforts are still needed and this has been my message to the commanders and troops.
“No doubt, the army is doing well in the fight against terrorism. Though we have lost a couple of men and equipment in the fight against insurgent, we have made tremendous achievements and in line with the directive of the president, we will go all way to flush out the insurgents from our country,” he said.
Ihejirika, however, said the Nigerian Army, under his leadership, was ready to defend the sovereignty of the country, adding that effort to rid the country of vices was irreversible.
Speaking in Ibadan, Ihejirika, in company with the Provost Marshall Army, Major-General Raphael Isah; Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Engineers, Major-General Funso Owonibi; the Director of Military Intelligence, Brigadier-General Laten Wiwa, said the onslaught against the Boko Haram sect had been yielding positive results.
He added that his visit to 2 Division was an opportunity to assess the  readiness of various divisions and units, “because any unit may be called upon anytime to support what others are doing in the North and elsewhere.”
He stated further that the visit also provided him the opportunity to interact with officers commanding the divisions and to inspect ongoing project units.
Boko Haram has overstretched security services —Senate
The Senate, on Wednesday, admitted to the monumental damages the Boko Haram insurgents had done to the national security, as it declared that the insurgency had overstretched the security services.
The upper legislative body, therefore, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to direct the Armed Forces and other security services to carry out urgent recruitment of soldiers and officers to increase the size of the forces.
The Senate also called on the Federal Government to put up other alternative strategies to curb the excesses of the Boko Haram insurgencies.
It, however, recommended that the nation’s security services on internal security operations should adhere to the provisions of the Geneva Convention, Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement, in order to minimise casualties and collateral damages.
The Senate, among others, also called on government at all levels to re-establish all Federal Government’s institutions, including schools, health centres, police stations, immigrations office and others that had been shut down as a result of the attack by Boko Haram sect in Baga border town.
 The above were part of the 10 recommendations made on the loss of lives and destruction of houses and property in Baga, Borno State, allegedly by members of the Boko Haram sect last April.
The recommendations, as contained in the report of the Senate Joint Committee on Defence and Army, Police Affairs and National Security and Intelligence, were unanimously adopted by the Senate at its plenary.
Consequent upon an appeal by Senator Maina Lawan for an investigation into the incident, the Senate, at its plenary on April 23, set up a 28-member committee to investigate the matter.
Senate President, David Mark, in his remarks, commended the committee but noted that some issues were not touched.
He said the declaration of emergency by the president was in the right direction, noting that the decision was already yielding the desired results in the affected states.
He said it was not yet time to consider payment of compensation to people affected in the violent incident, saying this could not be done until Boko Haram was finally put out of the way.
Mark said that inasmuch as Nigeria would continue to respect the ECOWAS Protocol, the leadership could not allow it to continue to pose danger to the nation’s internal security through the influx of illegal migrants.
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