2 Boko Haram suspects arrested ‘among IDPs’

The Nigerian military has arrested two Boko Haram suspects, Audu Umar and Hassan Umar, who “sneaked into the midst of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)” conveyed from Pulka to Gwoza Camp in Borno state.

 According to PRNigeria, the  suspects are currently undergoing interrogation by the military and intelligence operatives.

Meanwhile the military is yet to confirm reports of an arrest of a Boko Haram kingpin and Abubakar Shekau impersonator, popularly known as Bashir Sarkin Yanka, which in Hausa means “Bashir the King of Slaughter”.

Dele Alonge, spokesperson of operation Lafiya Dole in the northeast, said the military had eliminated and apprehended many insurgents in its counter-insurgency operations in the northeast.

 “As you are aware, the Nigerian military has succeeded in routing out terrorists from some of their hideouts in the northeast and in the process some were eliminated and others have been arrested,” he said.

“We cannot at the moment provide the identities of those in our custody or in other places until after we have conducted thorough investigations.”

At Konduga local government area of Borno state, the local security volunteer group, known as civilian JTF, claimed that it had arrested a Boko Haram Kingpin, named Bashir, who had been acting as Abubakar Shekau in some videos on the social media.

The suspect was reported to have confessed to the civilian JTF that he had acted as Boko Haram leader in some videos and was responsible for the death of his (Bashir’s) mother, two sisters and brother besides engaging in a mass slaughter.