ONE KILL IN BORNO , YOBE BEGS FLEEING RESIDENTS TO STAY

TWO days after a 57-year-old evangelist of the Good News Church was murdered by gunmen in Maiduguri in Borno State, a man simply identified as a tea vendor has been killed at his Gomari ward shop by suspected terrorists.
Two of his customers were injured when the two gunmen opened fire on them at 8.00 p.m. on Wednesday.
A resident told The Guardian that the slain tea vendor was to travel to Michika yesterday before the gunmen trailed him to his shop, two kilometres away from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base.
He claimed that Boko Haram had issued a warning letter to the victim to vacate his residence and shop.
Men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), who stormed the scene yesterday morning, fired gunshots into the air; and condoned the area.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Gideon Jibrin said: “We received the reports of yesterday’s (Wednesday) attack and
killing of a tea vendor in Gomari by two suspected gunmen. The body of the victim has been deposited at the Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri for autopsy and identifications by his relations.”
As residents continued to flee Damaturu, the Yobe State capital over alleged threat by Boko Haram to launch fresh attacks on the metropolis, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, has urged the people to remain in the state and go about their normal businesses.
In a statement yesterday by his Special Adviser on Public Affairs and Information, Abdullahi Bego, lamented that the people were leaving the state on the basis of rumours that the Boko Haram would launch further attacks on the state capital.
He said the rumours had caused panic among the hard working, law-abiding residents and affected business and social activities.
Gaidam pledged that his administration would continue to support officers and men of the Joint Security Task Force (JTF) in their effort at restoring law and order in Damaturu and other parts of the state.
The multiple bombings in Potiskum, Rigasa in Yobe and Kaduna states, and the killing of 20 worshippers in Otite in Kogi State by gunmen have been condemned by the Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese Lagos, Very Rev. Monsignor Gabriel Osu.
 In an interview with The Guardian, Osu called on religious leaders, especially northern Muslim leaders to rise against the perpetrators.
He said: “What is happening now is an aberration, it is to be condemned widely, vocally by all and sundry, especially by our Muslim religious leaders should condemn it.
Moreso, it is a wake up call for our security agencies to fish out the culprits and not until they are arrested and prosecuted, progress and peace would continue to elude the country.
Also, the Deputy Chief Imam of the National Mosque, Abuja, Muhammadu Kabir Adam, has described as pathetic the security situation in the country and urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to address the trend.
Adam, who noted that the high level of insecurity is a global phenomenon, called for intensive prayers for the country to overcome this challenge.