The police in Borno have arrested 22 suspected Boko Haram members including those who allegedly participated in the abduction of the Chibok school girls.
The Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, disclosed this while presenting the suspects to journalists on Wednesday in Maiduguri.
The insurgents had in 2014 abducted over 200 students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno.
Mr Chukwu disclosed that eight of the suspects were Boko Haram members and top commanders responsible for the kidnapping of the girls, and over 50 suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri and parts of Adamawa.
He added that some of the suspects participated in the invasion of Bama and Gwoza and carried out various attacks on security agencies and civilians in the North-east.
He said the arrests were made in the past two weeks in Borno and Yobe sequel to the deployment of the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) under the command of Abba Kyari.
According to him, the suspects included eight insurgents who participated in the abduction of the schools girls; three top commanders, two logistic suppliers and 17 fighters.
He listed those who participated in the abduction of the girls as a 23-year old Mayinta Modu, aka Abor, Adam Mohammed, 20; Gujja Jidda, 21 and Mamman Wardi, 25.
Others suspects are: Modu Jidda, 29; Ajiri Bulama Dungus, 22; Mohammed Abba, 20; and Fannami Mustapha, 22.
Mr Chukwu said that the suspects had confessed to have participated in the abduction that caught world attention and that they also coordinated various suicide bomb attacks.
He identified one Adam Mustapha, 20, as the mastermind behind series of suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri and Adamawa.
He explained that the suspects conveyed female and male suicide bombers from Sambisa forest to different locations in Maiduguri and Adamawa to carry out the attacks.
“The suspect confessed to be the mastermind of the suicide bomb attack in Baga road, Bulunkutu, Custom, Post Office, 3-3 housing and Muna area of Maiduguri. The attack led to the destruction of lives and property.
“One Mustapha Kanimbu, aka Aaramma, 20 years old, native of Mobbar Borno, is one of the Boko Haram terrorists’ commanders, who supplies logistics to the group members in Sambisa and also confessed to have participated in several attacks and killing of hundreds of people in Maiduguri.
“Ibrarahim Mala, 48 years old; native of Gwoza local government area of Borno, is one of the insurgents’ commanders, who lives in Dalori karekere area of Maiduguri, (he) supplied food and logistics to his members in the Sambisa Forest,” he said.
Mr Chukwu revealed that other members of the insurgents group were: Abdullahi Mohammed Gawi, 23; Maina Adam, 35; Wano Musa, 27; Ishaka Musa, 26; Abubakar Mohammed, 28; Usman Umar, 28; Maina Abba, 27; Maina Gambo, 24; Abubakar Kori, 25; and Bukar Abatcha, 39.
He disclosed that a 35-year-old, Muhammad Bashir, aka Kalijango, who hails from Gambaru Ngala and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), was also arrested for aiding the insurgents’ logistics supply.
According to him, the suspects were currently helping the police with useful information to arrest other fleeing insurgents and their commanders.
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