Following the continuous clampdown on the
insurgents in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital, a popular Abuja-based
lawyer, Amos Tori and his son were recently held for questioning by the
security operatives in connection to Boko Haram activities in the state cpital.
The lawyer, who had been practising and owned a chamber in Maiduguri
for some years was, like most of his colleagues, said to have been
forced to relocate to the FCT by the insurgency that engulfed the state.
But he was said to have been sneaking into town unnoticed to attend
court sessions or treat some of his case files and other personal issues
every fortnight.
It was, however, gathered that things became
complicated for the lawyer when his son’s name was mentioned as an
accomplice by an arrested Boko Haram suspect during interrogation by the
Volunteer Vigilante Youth Group (VVYG) otherwise known as “Civilian
JTF”.
The Boko Haram suspect, who according to sources, allegedly
said he was a close friend to Tori’s son, was arrested in a house behind
Alhaji Mohammed Indimi’s residence along Damboa road and did not deny
being a member of the dreaded Sect.
The suspect also reportedly told his interrogators that he gave Tori’s son some items for safe-keeping.
The ‘Civilian JTF’ swung into action by storming the legal
practitioner’s residence in order to effect the arrest of his son but
were reportedly surprised to meet the main entrance under lock and key,
with enquiries made by the ‘Civilian JTF’ from neighbours on the
whereabouts of the occupants of the house revealing that the embattled
son had fled to Abuja.
Sunday Tribune gathered that both father and
son decided to return to Maiduguri on the advice of associates that the
son be turned in, but walked into the hands of the ‘Civilian JTF’, which
reportedly beat them mercilessly before handing them over to the
security operatives for further interrogations.
Effort to get the
JTF to speak on the matter proved abortive as several visits to the JTF
Headquarters at Pompomari bypass to see the JTF Spokesman, Lt. Col.
Sagir Musa failed.
Source: Tribune
