ALL Progressives Congress (APC) officials in Borno State had to flee for their lives yesterday as irate youths from the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) attacked them for not paying their promised allowances after defacing campaign posters.

In a dramatic scene in Maiduguri, ACP officials, including Alhaji Ali Bukar Dalori, the chairman of the APC Borno State chapter had to scale a perimeter fence to escape the angry youths. They had recruited the youngsters to remove all the campaign posters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state capital but failed to pay them after the job was completed.

Incensed, the youths decided to confront Alhaji Dalori and some members of the Borno State House of Assembly, who were meeting at a government lodge in Maiduguri. Eventually, the police had to be called in to disperse the youths and while the two sides clashed, the party officials managed to escape.

Although the Civilian JTF claimed none of its members were involved in the incident, the political thugs claimed to be members of the group. According to the youths, they were employed to remove all PDP billboards, flags in Maiduguri but after accomplishing their mission, they were denied payment.

One source close to the APC chairman said: “The hired thugs are impatient. When they came demanding to see the chairman, they were told that he is in a meeting but they were not ready to wait.

 “They told the police that they are in a hurry and that it would take nothing for the chairman to come out and settle them before he goes back to continue with his meeting. However, the police were given instructions to disperse them and they need to carry it out.”

Civilian JTF spokesman Mallam Labor Yahaya, confirmed the clash but said members of his group were not involved in the fracas. He pointed out that the thugs, who carried Dane guns, started the shooting and the police shot one of them in the leg and one of the thugs also shot the policeman in his leg.