"Kyari Ali, a deaf resident of Borno State in northeast Nigeria, is challenging perceptions of disability by serving with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), supporting fellow volunteers in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents in the region. Footage from Saturday shows Ali walking through the streets of his hometown, Maiduguri, before he gets ready for service and joins other volunteers ahead of a patrol. "I joined because Boko Haram killed people close to me and destroyed communities. My parents were not happy with me joining, but for a long time I've been longing to volunteer in the Civilian Joint Task Force CJTF," Ali explained. The 30-year-old Civilian Joint Task Force member enlisted five years ago and has participated in patrols across Gamboru Ngala, Biu and Dikwa, communities affected by insurgent violence. Kyari had faced repeated denials when he tried to join the Civilian Joint Task Force due to his disability. "I applied, and they rejected me because I can't speak or hear. I came to their head office many times to plead with them to consider me. I got lucky, and they recruited me," he added. Kyari's mother initially opposed his decision to join the volunteer group. She wanted him to focus on his business and continue his education. "I wasn't happy with the decision, so I talked him out of it, but he insisted, and suddenly I heard news he's a volunteer […] I wanted him to focus on the business and not this. His father was furious too, and so we have no choice but to pray for Allah's protection over his life," noted his mother, Aisha Ali. Nigeria has been fighting the terrorist threat posed by Boko Haram for over a decade, with the most recent suspected attack on Saturday, where insurgents attacked a military camp in Adamawa State, killing three soldiers and one civilian."