Insurgency: FG may integrate Civilian JTF into military, police – Buhari.

Insurgency: FG may integrate Civilian JTF into military, police – Buhari.

The Federal Government at the weekend gave indication that it may integrate members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) into the Nigerian military and police after the war against the Boko Haram.

President Muhammadu Buhari gave this indication while responding to questions at a press conference after the 2nd Regional Security Summit in Abuja on Saturday.

“For those who have received military training, it will be advised either to recruit them if they are within the age bracket of recruitment in the military or the police,” Buhari said.

He allayed fears that the Civilian JTF could constitute another security challenge to the country after the defeat of Boko Haram.

“They have been of tremendous help to the military because they are from there, they have local intelligence and some of them are retired military or retired policemen.

“Since they were drawn by the authorities of their respective states, they were taken into confidence and trusted.

Personally, with the experience I have as a military man and during the civil war, using local intelligence, using local authorities from ward, to local government, to the state can improve our intelligence collection,” Buhari noted.

While assuring that the government had a plan for the group after the war, Buhari said since they were known in their areas of operation before they joined the JTF, disarming them won’t be a problem.

END