TheCable

A suspected Boko Haram member who feigned madness narrowly escaped arrest at Buni Yadi town in Gujba local government area of Yobe state on Tuesday.

Usman Yusuf, commander of the 27 task force brigade, Damaturu, had given an order to arrest the supposedly mad man when he was sighted in one of the dilapidated buildings in the deserted town.

But as soldiers advanced to carry out the order, the suspect, who wore a white garment with an unkempt hair while chanting incantations, disappeared.

The incident occurred when the commander led a group of newsmen, who were on a guided tour of towns recently liberated from Boko Haram insurgents, to visit Buni Yadi to see things for themselves.

Yusuf, however, assured that the troops would fish out the suspect soon.

The suspect was believed to be on a surveillance mission for the insurgents but pretended to be insane.

Gujba and Gulani local government areas of the state were captured by the insurgents in July 2014 and remained under their control for nine months.

There are 17 local governments in the state.

But Gujba and its headquarters, Buni Yadi, haven now been liberated, while operations to free Gulani are ongoing.

Insurgents blew up the only bridge linking the local government area with the state capital, Damaturu, and other towns, shortly after they occupied the area.

Before retreating from Buni Yadi, they also burnt down most of the houses, schools, the local government secretariat, motor parks, court, the emir’s palace and market.

Apart from troops on guard, the supposedly mad man, a dog and a cat were the only living beings sighted in the deserted town.

The commander listed other towns recaptured by troops in the state to include Fkayel, Gulani, tetteba, Bunsa, Bularafa, Kukuwa Geri and Buni Geri.