Tilafa Army Publicly Executes Nigerian Soldier, Policeman Abducted In Borno

Members of ISWAP, the breakaway faction of Boko Haram, have released a video showing the execution of a soldier and a police officer, who were shot shortly after introducing themselves.

This is as President Muhammadu Buhari asserted on Friday that his administration has “considerably downgraded” security threats such as Boko Haram insurgency and banditry.

Buhari, who said this in his Democracy Day nationwide broadcast on Friday, added that all forms of crimes across the country had also been reduced.

But the president said he regretted the recent attacks in Borno where at least 80 were reportedly killed by Boko Haram insurgents, saying the attackers took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ending insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality across the nation is being accorded appropriate priorities and the men and women of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have considerably downgraded such threats across all geo-political zones.

“All the Local Governments that were taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have long been recovered and are now occupied by indigenes of these areas who were hitherto forced to seek a living in areas far from their ancestral homes.

“The total collapse of the economies of these areas, which constituted a threat to our food security, has also been reversed with the gradual recovery of farming and other economic activities.

“I regret recent sporadic incidents with tragic loss of lives in Katsina and Borno States as a result of criminals taking advantage of COVID-19 restrictions. Security Agencies will pursue the perpetrators and bring them to swift justice,” the President said.

Buhari asked states and local governments to revamp their intelligence assets to enable security agencies to “nip in the bud any planned attacks in remote rural areas”.

Meanwhile, in the 49-second video made public by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the two security operatives disclosed that were abducted last week while travelling between Maiduguri and Monguno in Borno State.

According to the slain security personnel, they were on a trip from Maiduguri to Monguno when they were ambushed and abducted by the insurgents whom they described as “Tilafa army”, Premium Times reports.

One of the slain personnel who spoke in Hausa said, “my name is Yohanah Kilus, I am policeman, my rank is Inspector, I was abducted between Maiduguri and Monguno; I am presently in the custody of Tilafa soldiers.”

The second abducted personnel, said, “I am 13NA/70/8374, Lance Corporal Emmanuel Oscar, I was captured by Tilafa’s along Maiduguri to Monguno.”

Shortly after that, the video showed two armed men pointing AK47 rifles at the two personnel kneeling with their faces blindfolded. Shots were simultaneously fired and and the two security personnel were killed.