According to government officials, the terrorist group started announcing to citizens, particularly women, that if they submit photocopies of their permanent voter cards they will receive N6,000 from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The goal of this scheme is to group civilians at various buildings in order to maximize casualties for suicide attacks.
URGENT PUBLIC ALERT:
The Borno State Government wishes to alert members of the public that some men and women, suspected to be wives, collaborators and sympathizers of Boko Haram insurgents have devised a means of misleading innocent citizens, particularly women in some parts of Borno State, by telling them to go and make photocopies of their permanent voter cards and submit same for in anticipation of the sum of six thousand to be paid to them by the Independent National Electoral Commission and other political stake-holders.
From analysis of security agencies made available to Government, the motive behind this dubious step is to mobilize innocent citizens, particularly women into gathering at business centers and other places to make it convenient for insurgents who have been fleeing from military bombardment, to disguise and embark on suicide missions aimed at taking the lives of innocent persons. The Government notes that with the huge successes being recorded by the Nigerian armed forces, fleeing insurgents who now operate from the positions of weakness due to decline in their numbers, plot suicide attacks on soft targets given in order to use less members of their sect to inflict pains on many innocent citizens.
The Borno State Government therefore urges citizens to completely disregard any call for making photocopies and submission of permanent voter-cards as well as any call for them to assemble in any business or any place for that matter as there is no such requirements by the INEC or any institution of Government.
Citizens are advised not to listen to any call unless such is coming from official quarters which will be communicated through recognized media platforms particularly Radio, Television, Newspapers and some established online media houses. The Government advises the public to be wary and carefully scrutinize pieces of information from some aspects of the social media, given the fact that faceless persons including criminals that may use fake identities to misuse Facebook, Twitter, whatsapp among others, for the purpose of sharing information to mobilize members of the public.
The Government enjoins good citizens to spread this public alert using all lawful means including the social media with a view to jointly working against terrorism to enhance our collective security.
This message is from the office of the Executive Governor of Borno State, Government House, Maiduguri.
February 9, 2016.
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