Civilian Joint Task Force Explained

The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) is a loose group of militants that was formed in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria to help oust Boko Haram Islamist fighters from their city. The group possesses basic weapons and has female members.[1] [2] The vigilante group numbers over 26,000 in the northeastern Borno and Yobe States, of which only 1,800 receive a salary ($50 per month).[3] The CJTF has suffered about 600 casualties in the conflict, counting both lost and missing members.[3]

The CJTF has been accused of abuses, including slaughtering men beside a mass grave, diverting food destined for starving families and beating men and subjecting women and girls to systematic sexual violence in camps.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Civilian JTF women emerge in Borno - Search for female insurgents. 9 December 2013. 11 December 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131211163242/http://leadership.ng/news/240813/civilian-jtf-women-emerge-borno-search-female-insurgents. dead.
  2. Web site: Women join civilian JTF in hunt for Boko Haram. 9 December 2013. https://archive.today/20131209044648/http://news.naij.com/39428.html. December 9, 2013.
  3. News: The volunteers who helped beat back Boko Haram are becoming a problem. 1 October 2016. The Economist. 1 October 2016. https://archive.today/20230901151743/https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2016/09/29/the-home-guard. September 1, 2023.