Lagos—Six suspected members of the Boko Haram sect were weekend apprehended by a Civilian Joint Task Force at different locations in Lagos.
The suspects, who all confessed to be indigenes of Borno State, disclosed that they fled Bama, Baga and Konduga local government council areas of Borno State, following the offensive of military operatives against insurgents in the state. They gave their identities as Ibrahim Ali, Abubakar Ahmed, Babagana Blam Ali, Goigoi Kamsalem, Ibrahim Mohammed and Adams.
Briefing journalists on how they were arrested, Head of the civilian Joint Task Force, the Mai- Kanuribe of Lagos and Seriki Hausawa of Ijora Kingdom, Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed, revealed that Ibrahim Ali and Babagana Blam Ali, who hail from Bama and Konduga local government areas respectively, were arrested at Isheri-Ojodu Berger, while Goigoi Kamsalem, Ibrahim Mohammed both from Bama and Abubakar Ahmed of Baga council areas, were apprehended at a hideout in Victoria Island.
The sixth suspect, Adam according to him, was arrested close to a church in Festac Town. Mustapha hinted that his group was spread across 57 local government areas in Lagos and Ogun states and had been in operation since five years, with the aim of nipping activities of Boko Haram sect in both states in the bud.
According to him, his group had made several arrests in the past, with the suspects handed over to Department of State Service, DSS, the Police with some transferred to Maiduguri, Bornu State, saying that a patrol van was donated to his group by the DSS, to enhance its operation.
Mustapha informed that arrests were made based on intelligence. He said “One of their leaders that was hiding at a church in FESTAC town was arrested and handed over to security agents. You know we are from Borno State where these people also hail from and we know their communities.
Our people back home do monitor them, and once they leave Maiduguri, we would be alerted so that we can be on the lookout. “Once they arrive any community in Lagos, our members are always on ground to fish them out base on intelligence report and once they are arrested, we hand them over to security agencies for further investigation and prosecution”, the traditional head of the Kanuris in Lagos explained.
The six suspects arrested according to him, were moved to Borno State yesterday morning before the arrival of journalists, hinting that their movement was based on the directive of security operatives.
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