Family of executed Boko Haram Leader Threaten to Sue Police

The family of executed Boko Haram Leader, Mohammed Yusuf, are threatening to take legal action against the police after it was revealed that Mohammed Yusuf's 72 year old father-in-law, Baba Fugu Mohammed, was also killed in police custody.

Spokesman for the family , Baba Kura Alhaji Fugu,  said his father fled his residence when the sectarian crisis erupted. But voluntarily gave himself up to the police when he heard that he was a wanted man.

Alhaji Fugu said news came back to the family that his father was killed and his corpse deposited at the morgue of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). He was later buried in a mass grave at an undisclosed location.

"The news of his assassination came to the family and we are surprised how he would be assassinated by the police and his corpse deposited at the UMTH mortuary on Friday and he would be buried in a mass grave on Saturday." Alhaji Fugu said.

Alhaji Fugu  revealed that his father gave the land on which Mohammed Yusuf built his house and mosque. His father also continually warned Mohammed against his anti-government, anti-Western education rhetoric. Fugu stated that he had sent a petition on the activities of his brother-in-law to the Borno State government before the incident last week and accused the government of laxity.

The petition was titled "Threatening Situation to Peace and Security of the State posed by Mallam Mohammed Yusuf and his Disciples." It was written on July 15,2009. Here are some excerpts from the petition:

"It could be recalled that few weeks ago, some members of Mohammed Yusuf's disciples had a logger-head with Operation Flush II team near the Custom Bridge in Maiduguri in which few of Yusuf's disciples sustained injuries."

"Against this background, since the occurrence of this incident, the group under the leadership of ill-educated Mallam Mohammed Yusuf is mobilizing both men and resources to retaliate the injuries inflicted on them by the said Operation Flush II team."

"The spate of which most of his disciples both with and far flung of Maiduguri are paying allegiance and solidarity visits to their leader shows they are busy preparing to launch an offensive attack on members of the Operation Flush II stationed at strategic locations in Maiduguri. In addition to this, they are targeting many government agencies and departments such as courts, the state house of assembly, police stations and formations across the state, the university and other tertiary institutions. They are also targeting all the democratic institutions and political office holders."

Alhaji Fugu advised the government to take action by alerting all security agencies in the North-east region.

This Day

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