No fewer than 680 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force lost their lives to the Boko Haram insurgency between 2014 and July 2017 in Borno .
The Legal Adviser to the CJTF, Jubril Gunda, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri on Sunday.
Mr. Gunda, who described the dead CJTF members as heroes, said they were killed in various operations in the state.
Many members of the group also sustained various degrees of injuries since the group joined the campaign to end insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East.
According to him, the CJTF had made remarkable contributions in ensuring the return of peace to war-ravaged communities in Maiduguri and elsewhere.
He then pleaded with the federal government to provide money and materials for the families of dead CJTF members.
“Their families are left on their own with no compensation, except the token burial money given by the Borno State government.
“Their children cannot afford to go to school or pay house rent,” he said, describing the conditions of bereaved families as pathetic.
Mr. Gunda revealed that 780 members of the group had been trained and exposed to combat operations to boost their combat readiness.
“It is our sincere believe that the 780 trained CJTF members will make a great difference in the campaign against insurgency.”
He also called on the Borno government to pay allowances and provide vehicles for the group to motivate them.