FG to recruit civilian JTF into police, army

 …Buhari insists Boko Haram operated with seized army, police weapons

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buharid ropped hints at the weekend that the Federal Government may possi­bly recruit some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) into the Ni­gerian Army and the Police.

This was even as he assured that disarming them would not be a problem after the war against Boko Haram had been won.

Fielding questions dur­ing the Second Regional Security Summit held in Abuja at the weekend, Bu­hari also dismissed the im­pression that Boko Haram got arms supplies from the Independent State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The president said in­telligence gathering so far confirmed that the Islamic sect operated with the am­munition they stole from military and police armou­ries. “With their encoun­ter with the military, the type of weapon they are using are mostly the ones they seized after attacking military installations, po­lice stations and breaking armouries. So, as the mili­tary hits back and recovers the weapons and hostages, they seem to have run out of stock. The only fear we had was when Boko Haram claimed they were loyal to ISIS, but, up till now, we don’t have firm intelligence of what ISIS has been able to send to them in terms of weapons or even money. When they claim loyalty to them, it is natural for us to assume that they will get some support in military hardware and money,” he insisted.