Dismissed air force officer among Boko Haram fighters who battled policemen in Kano

One of the Boko Haram suspects who engaged the police in a gun battle in Kano was dismissed from the Nigeria air force.

Rabiu Yusuf, commissioner of police in the state, disclosed this to reporters on Sunday.

The incident happened at Gaya in Unogo local government area of the state.

Yusuf said the dismissed officer escaped with gunshot wound.

Five suspects were later arrested. The police commissioner said they were nabbed at a hideout where they were plotting an attack.

He said one of the suspects made confessional statement to the police about the plan launch a series of attacks on places of worship, public gathering and other “strategic places of interest”.

The suspects paraded by the police are Abba Muhammad of Niger republic, (20), Usman A. Buhari (23) from Borno state and Illiasu Abdullahi (46) of Gezawa local government area of Kano.

Two “heavily pregnant” women were also arrested. They are Aisha Yau (25) and Ladidi Yunusa (27) both of Kwarna hudu quarters in Nassarawa local government area of Kano.

Yusuf said three police officers sustained injuries as a result of improvised explosive devices (IED) which the suspects used in attacking them.

“The suspects were arrested following on an active intelligence from the Nigeria police force indicating the remnants of the Boko Haram group who escaped from Sambisa forest have started regrouping in some states of the north including Kano state,” he said.

“It is because of the concern to ensure that they don’t attack any location in any state, that the inspector general of police set up a joint police special team under the supervision of CP Kano command which launched a trail mission on the remnant of Boko Haram group in various locations in Kano and its environs.

“The special police team has prevented several attempt in various places in Kano and its environs by this Boko Haram group from attacking innocent citizens in Kano.

He listed exhibits recovered from the suspects as one AK47 riffle, three sets of air force uniform, four caps of air force, one set of military boost, four magazines, 47 ranks of ammunition, one hand spoke, vehicle keys, a laptop and Ipad as well as some operational black mask with pictures of the suspects in military uniform.