Civilian Joint Task Force (Civilian JTF) (Nigeria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: |
no
|
| PGM ID Number: |
579
|
| Country: |
Nigeria |
| Date formed: |
June 1, 2013 |
| Accuracy of date formed: |
month
|
| Details of Formation: |
Northern youths mainly from Maiduguri formed the group to provide rural security services and to help the military in its fight against the Jama'atu Ahlis Sunnah Lidda'awati Wal Jihad, popularly called the Boko Haram sect. The vigilante force has arisen in northeast Nigeria as a backlash against Boko Haram. To support the militia’s operations, the state government paid them and arranged joint training with the regular military. |
| Date dissolved: |
Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: |
day
|
| Details of Termination: |
|
| Termination Type(s): |
not terminated
|
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): |
none
|
| Successor group(s): |
none
|
| Private Military Company? |
no |
| Former Group? |
no |
| Former Armed Group? |
no |
| Former Rebel Group? |
no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: |
none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? |
no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: |
none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: |
semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: |
no |
Main Creating Government Institution: |
none
|
| Government Link(s): |
military (institution)
|
| If link to party, name of party: |
None |
| Training and Equipment: |
yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: |
yes |
| Shared Personnel: |
unclear |
| Type(s) of Material Support: |
domestic government
|
| State Sponsor(s): |
none
|
| Other Connection(s): |
|
Group Characteristics
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: |
not applicable
|
| Ethnic Membership: |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: |
not applicable
|
| Ethnic Purpose: |
none
|
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: |
not applicable
|
Other Information
| Other Information: |
The youths monitor and capture Boko Haram members identified by them and hand them over to the military and the JTF. The group maintains checkpoints and provides intelligence to the Nigerian security services. In 2013 they were undergoing training in character re-orientation to desist from establishing illegal cells. In 2014 the Nigerian military decided to streamline the activities of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and vigilante groups in the North-east to regulate the activities of the groups following reports of human right violations by the vigilantes.
Also known as Volunteer Vigilante Youth Group or Borno Youth Association of Peace and Justice |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: |
The militia was set up as a local neighborhood watch to attack Boko Haram insurgents. The government paid them to support the regular armed forces in their operations. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use |
knowledge
|
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: |
The militia has reportedly attacked unarmed civilians which led to more tension. Violent acts were mostly perpetrated under the pretext of curbing Boko Haram insurgency. These attacks were often carried out jointly with the regular armed forces. (Wikipedia) |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: |
killing; beating; sexual violence
|
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? |
no information |
| PGM Members Paid? |
yes |
| Reasons for Membership: |
Members joined due to their own commitment of purging Islamist insurgents out of the communities. Additionally, the government paid some militiamen to keep fighting in the militia. |
| PGM Members Killed? |
sometimes |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Up to 1,700 young men were registered militia members. In addition, there are several thousands more who are not registered, but fight for the group. (Amnesty 2015) |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
Militiamen fought with machetes, guns and self-made weapons. In addition, Borno State governor donated vehicles to the group and the militia received military training from the army. |
Organisation
| Organisation: |
A committee of high-ranking military personnel regulated the activities of the militia. While the group has several thousand unofficial members, only a small group of militiamen are registered and received pay by the government. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Amnesty International. 2015. “Nigeria: Horror in numbers”.
Wikipedia. “Civilian Joint Task Force”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Joint_Task_Force.
Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD.
Evidence
