Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Lagos State, Mr. Kumar Sanda, has revealed that thousands of suspected Boko Haram members have been arrested in the state.
“If I should mention the number of Boko Haram members we have arrested in Lagos State, people will not believe it. But we have arrested thousands,” Sanda stated.
According to The Punch, Sanda made the disclosure on Wednesday at an award ceremony held at the Airport Hotel, Lagos, where the CJTF received the Best Security Group in Lagos award from the Nigerian Human Rights Community.
According to Sanda, the CJTF has intensified its surveillance and security operations across the state to prevent the infiltration of insurgents and bandits fleeing military operations in northern Nigeria.
“The CJTF monitors trailer parks, and quarries, and checks truck pushers because we understand the channels through which they enter Lagos,” he said.
“Our people must remain vigilant. Not all ‘Abokis’ (northerners) are bad, but not all are good either. We are committed to keeping Lagos free from Boko Haram and banditry.”
He noted that arrests are regularly made in trailer parks, quarries, markets, and other known gathering points for migrants arriving from the North. He affirmed the group’s commitment to safeguarding Lagos and maintaining the state’s status as an insurgency-free zone.
“Boko Haram has no domain in Lagos State,” he said. “The Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Governor is constantly in touch with us to ensure the people sleep with their eyes closed.”
Sanda also addressed public fears and misconceptions about northerners in the state, particularly individuals from Borno.
“Whenever you see a man from Borno State, you might feel scared because of Boko Haram,” he acknowledged. “But many of those you see are not truly Nigerians. That’s not to say there are no Nigerians among them.”
He stressed that many insurgents and bandits are not Nigerians, but foreign nationals who infiltrate the country and disguise themselves as locals.
“It’s a fact that Boko Haram originated in Borno State, and we monitor individuals from Borno across Lagos. We know when new arrivals come in because we track the truck routes,” Sanda said. “A person from Borno can identify others from his state; the same goes for indigenes of Kano and other states.”
Nigeria continues to grapple with widespread insecurity, marked by increasing incidents of killings and property destruction across several states.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has urged President Bola Tinubu to return from his trip to France and address the escalating violence perpetrated by bandits nationwide.
