16 men arrested in Yobe found dead with bullet wounds

Sixteen men who were arrested by soldiers in Potiskum, Yobe State have been found dead just hours later with bullet wounds, community leaders said yesterday, demanding an inquiry.

According to AFP,Troops rounded up 17 people, including an imam, from Dogo Tebo in the city as they left a mosque after morning prayers on Wednesday.

Residents and hospital staff said the bodies of all but the imam were later found in the morgue at the Potiskum General Hospital.

“All the bodies have gunshot wounds on them,” said a nurse, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The bodies had been brought in by soldiers and were identified by community leaders and residents from Dogo Tegbo,

One resident, Tukur Danu, said the cleric was not among the dead and added:

“We are worried about what they could do to him.”

 Community leaders believed the 16 men were picked up and killed because all of them were from the Kanuri ethnic group that forms the bulk of Boko Haram's membership.

"We demand a probe into this unjustifiable murder," said one community leader ."We believe they were killed on suspicion of being Boko Haram because they were Kanuris."

 All those seized were related either by blood or marriage, according to another leader.

"The government should look into this cold-blooded murder and ensure justice is done because being a soldier is not a licence to kill at will on mere suspicion,Our fear is we don't know what they will do next,"  

He added that three more people were arrested late on Wednesday in the same area.

AFP