It's getting out of hand, says ACNIT was still reign of violence in Borno State as three suspected Boko Haram gunmen at the weekend killed a cameraman of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, Zakariya Isa, at his Bulunkutu ward residence.Meanwhile, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has described as condemnable the escalation of the Boko Haram crisis and the killing of the journalist.The gunmen, who were said to have come in an unmarked vehicle, demanded for the presence of Zakariya before one of the suspects pulled out a Kalashnikov rifle from a flowing gown and fired several shots into his head and chest at the entrance of his house at about 8.00 p.m.Confirming Saturday's attacks and killing, the Field Operations Officerof the Joint Task Force (JTF), Col. Victor Ebhaleme, said he received a distress call from the Bulunkutu sector of the task force that threesuspected Boko Haram gunmen attacked the residence of the NTAcameraman and fired several shots into his chest and head. According to him, when men of the JTF got to the scene of the attack, the suspects fled into the neighbouring wards of Gomari and Pompomari.Ebhaleme said the suspects adopted the same tactics with which they killed Modu Bintube of the Borno State House of Assembly on October 16, 2011 at his Gomari Airport ward residence. He said no arrests had been made by the JFT or Police, but the information provided by some residents could lead to the arrests of the assassins.Speaking on the attacks and shootings, the Borno State Police Commissioner, Simeon Midenda, told The Guardian that 'everyone is at risk in Borno State because the suspected Boko Haram sect does not spare anyone to kill indiscriminately and without any cause. I am calling the state Deputy Police Commissioner now to deploy policemen in the area to investigate the killing of this cameraman, as I am still in Abuja for a conference'.In a statement, the ACN said: ''If it is true, as it had been widely reported, that Boko Haram men killed Isa, then it is a clear indication that things are really getting out of hand as far as this Boko Haram crisis is concerned.'Again, we call on the Federal Government to shake off its lethargy and act fast to find a solution to the crisis. With the government seeming clueless as to how to tackle the crisis, we will like to reiterate our earlier call for the convening of a stakeholders' conferenceto help find a solution'.The party also repeated its earlier statement that the use of force cannot end the Boko Haram crisis, saying there must be an engagement of sorts and it must happen as soon as possible to prevent more innocent lives from being lost to gun attacks and bombings.ACN said while the details of Isa's reported killing was still sketchy, the party was gravely worried that the journalist might have beentargeted purely because of his professional duties.'We are particularly concerned because a spokesman for Boko Haram sect, Abu Kaka, was quoted in a newspaper statement as warning last monththat the sect would attack journalists if they continue to 'misrepresent' it', the party said. 'We wonder what the sect considers a'misrepresentation', and hope Isa's killing is not a manifestation of the sect's threat', it added.
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