LESS than 48 hours after the arrest of Abul Qaqa, a Boko Haram chieftain in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital by the State Security Service (SSS), six persons said to be relations of the 11 members of the Boko Haram sect earlier killed at Kawarmaila in Shehuri North by the Joint Task Force on Operation Restore Order in Borno State were attacked and slaughtered by unknown persons.
Citizens of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, wondered that with the current security situation in the state and curfew in place, some people were still being attacked and killed in their sleep by suspected persons believed to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect.
Residents of the area who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune by phone said that those killed in the area were attacked and killed between the hours of 7.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., when the curfew was in place and active.
“We do not know whether government is serious about the security situation in the state, with curfew in place when it is much effective that some criminals would go into people’s houses and kill them, when we say we have security all over the place. This is unfortunate and a minus for government and security agents in the state,” Kabura Manu said.
According to him, it was reported that, the six people killed on Wednesday night, at Kawarmaila in Shehuri North, were said to be those who gave information to security agents on the 11 members of the Boko Haram sect that were killed last week in the area.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Ifijeh Mohammed, on Thursday, in Maiduguri, said that preliminary investigation revealed that the six deceased were suspected to have been slaughtered by persons suspected to be their fellow sect members.
According to the statement by the JTF, the incident occurred in the area where 11 sect members had an encounter with the JTF troops last weekend.
“The killing may have been as a result of division among sect members. The JTF will continue to be proactive in dealing with Boko Haram,” the statement read.
JTF also said improvised explosive device (IED) explosions occurred in the early hours of Thursday in Maiduguri metropolis, while some unexploded IEDs were defused by the JTF with no casualty recorded.
Meanwhile, the JTF has advised the people to be conscious of happenings in their environment and report promptly to security agencies using the JTF hotlines (07085464012, 080154429346 and 08085464012).
Meanwhile, following the killings and destruction of properties, especially in the north eastern part of the country by the Boko Haram sect, the Army Headquarters has directed 3 Division of the Nigerian Army to move its headquarters to Gombe State to properly co-ordinate and fight activities of criminals in the region.
The division has also destroyed some settlements belonging to the Boko Haram sect, especially in Damaturu and arrested many of its members, most whom were undergoing interrogations in various parts of the area of operations of the division.
According to a statement issued by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Andrew Idachaba, made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Jos, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division of the Nigerian Army Jos, Major-General Adamu Buba Marwa, on relocation to Gombe, warned that the division would no longer condone any act of criminality within his area of responsibility.
General Marwa, who assured all those residing in the area of their safety, warned that anyone that caused trouble would be decisively dealt with, adding that soldiers trained as Quick Response Group had been fully deployed to fish out criminals.
The statement revealed that the Chief of Training and Operations (CTOPs), Major-General Lawrence Ngubane, had also toured the areas of operation along with the GOC and warned the criminals to desist from their acts or be ready to face the wrath of the Nigerian Army.
General Ngubane condemned the activities of religious extremists and urged them to stop such acts, saying that “enough is enough.”
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in and around government establishments, including police headquarters, divisions, posts, prisons, office of the State Security Services (SSS) and other sensitive areas in Plateau State, following a rumour of a threat by the sect to storm Jos, the state capital.
In another development, despite confusion over the arrest of the Boko Haram spokesman, Abu Qaqa, reports from security agencies in Abuja indicated that the man was actually in custody alongside his wife and cousins, who were arrested with him on Wednesday.
This is just as the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, arrived in Kano to coordinate operations in the state.
A source in SSS on Thursday was said to have stated that Qaqa’s wife and cousin were being drilled separately to be able to extract sufficient information from them on how the dreaded sect operates, “after it was confirmed through a series of interrogation of Qaqa that he is actually the spokesman for the sect we have been looking for.”
It emerged, on Thursday, that Qaqa, who was arrested in Kaduna on Wednesday, was flown to Abuja in a military helicopter.
Sources close the the government told the Nigerian Tribune that the man was taken to the headquarters of the State Security Services (SSS) immediately.
It was learnt that a team of operatives had been set up to interrogate him on the nature of grievances and operations of the dreaded sect.
He was arrested by operatives of the SSS who were said to have been on the trail of Boko Haram leaders in recent months.
It was also gathered that international intelligence was helping in trailing some of the targets.
Qaqa, who acted as the spokesman of the group, was said to have been arrested in kaduna while preparing to grant another interview.
“By now, he is being interogated by operatives in a special team at the Yellow House, SSS headquarters, in Abuja,” a source said.
It was also gathered that two high profile Boko Haram leaders have been arrested in Yola late on Wednesday and that the development was causing crisis in the sect.
The leader of the group was said to have relocated to a village in Cameroon near Maiduguri, after he moved out of Niger Republic where he initially relocated.
“Another two high profile Boko Haram members were arrested in Yola late on Wednesday. The development is giving concern to the sect,” a source said, adding that the Nigerian intelligence community were collaboratig with operatives from Western nations in the search for an end to the Boko Haram crisis.
FCT Minister confirms arrest of suspected female bomber
Apparently due to a report by the Nigerian Tribune on Thursday that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has chosen to keep mute over the spreading information that a suspected female bomber was arrested while attempting to gain entrance into the FCT Ministry, the minister, Bala Mohammed, has confirmed the arrest of the suspected bomber.
Speaking in Abuja, the minister disclosed that men of the SSS were already interrogating the suspect.
According to the minister, the suspect was also already making useful disclosures on the matter.
The female suicide bomber, suspected to be a member of Boko Haram, was prevented from gaining entrance into the complex of the FCTA.
The incident happened last weekend, as the suspect was said to be from Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Citizens of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, wondered that with the current security situation in the state and curfew in place, some people were still being attacked and killed in their sleep by suspected persons believed to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect.
Residents of the area who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune by phone said that those killed in the area were attacked and killed between the hours of 7.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., when the curfew was in place and active.
“We do not know whether government is serious about the security situation in the state, with curfew in place when it is much effective that some criminals would go into people’s houses and kill them, when we say we have security all over the place. This is unfortunate and a minus for government and security agents in the state,” Kabura Manu said.
According to him, it was reported that, the six people killed on Wednesday night, at Kawarmaila in Shehuri North, were said to be those who gave information to security agents on the 11 members of the Boko Haram sect that were killed last week in the area.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Ifijeh Mohammed, on Thursday, in Maiduguri, said that preliminary investigation revealed that the six deceased were suspected to have been slaughtered by persons suspected to be their fellow sect members.
According to the statement by the JTF, the incident occurred in the area where 11 sect members had an encounter with the JTF troops last weekend.
“The killing may have been as a result of division among sect members. The JTF will continue to be proactive in dealing with Boko Haram,” the statement read.
JTF also said improvised explosive device (IED) explosions occurred in the early hours of Thursday in Maiduguri metropolis, while some unexploded IEDs were defused by the JTF with no casualty recorded.
Meanwhile, the JTF has advised the people to be conscious of happenings in their environment and report promptly to security agencies using the JTF hotlines (07085464012, 080154429346 and 08085464012).
Meanwhile, following the killings and destruction of properties, especially in the north eastern part of the country by the Boko Haram sect, the Army Headquarters has directed 3 Division of the Nigerian Army to move its headquarters to Gombe State to properly co-ordinate and fight activities of criminals in the region.
The division has also destroyed some settlements belonging to the Boko Haram sect, especially in Damaturu and arrested many of its members, most whom were undergoing interrogations in various parts of the area of operations of the division.
According to a statement issued by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Andrew Idachaba, made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Jos, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division of the Nigerian Army Jos, Major-General Adamu Buba Marwa, on relocation to Gombe, warned that the division would no longer condone any act of criminality within his area of responsibility.
General Marwa, who assured all those residing in the area of their safety, warned that anyone that caused trouble would be decisively dealt with, adding that soldiers trained as Quick Response Group had been fully deployed to fish out criminals.
The statement revealed that the Chief of Training and Operations (CTOPs), Major-General Lawrence Ngubane, had also toured the areas of operation along with the GOC and warned the criminals to desist from their acts or be ready to face the wrath of the Nigerian Army.
General Ngubane condemned the activities of religious extremists and urged them to stop such acts, saying that “enough is enough.”
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in and around government establishments, including police headquarters, divisions, posts, prisons, office of the State Security Services (SSS) and other sensitive areas in Plateau State, following a rumour of a threat by the sect to storm Jos, the state capital.
In another development, despite confusion over the arrest of the Boko Haram spokesman, Abu Qaqa, reports from security agencies in Abuja indicated that the man was actually in custody alongside his wife and cousins, who were arrested with him on Wednesday.
This is just as the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, arrived in Kano to coordinate operations in the state.
A source in SSS on Thursday was said to have stated that Qaqa’s wife and cousin were being drilled separately to be able to extract sufficient information from them on how the dreaded sect operates, “after it was confirmed through a series of interrogation of Qaqa that he is actually the spokesman for the sect we have been looking for.”
It emerged, on Thursday, that Qaqa, who was arrested in Kaduna on Wednesday, was flown to Abuja in a military helicopter.
Sources close the the government told the Nigerian Tribune that the man was taken to the headquarters of the State Security Services (SSS) immediately.
It was learnt that a team of operatives had been set up to interrogate him on the nature of grievances and operations of the dreaded sect.
He was arrested by operatives of the SSS who were said to have been on the trail of Boko Haram leaders in recent months.
It was also gathered that international intelligence was helping in trailing some of the targets.
Qaqa, who acted as the spokesman of the group, was said to have been arrested in kaduna while preparing to grant another interview.
“By now, he is being interogated by operatives in a special team at the Yellow House, SSS headquarters, in Abuja,” a source said.
It was also gathered that two high profile Boko Haram leaders have been arrested in Yola late on Wednesday and that the development was causing crisis in the sect.
The leader of the group was said to have relocated to a village in Cameroon near Maiduguri, after he moved out of Niger Republic where he initially relocated.
“Another two high profile Boko Haram members were arrested in Yola late on Wednesday. The development is giving concern to the sect,” a source said, adding that the Nigerian intelligence community were collaboratig with operatives from Western nations in the search for an end to the Boko Haram crisis.
FCT Minister confirms arrest of suspected female bomber
Apparently due to a report by the Nigerian Tribune on Thursday that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has chosen to keep mute over the spreading information that a suspected female bomber was arrested while attempting to gain entrance into the FCT Ministry, the minister, Bala Mohammed, has confirmed the arrest of the suspected bomber.
Speaking in Abuja, the minister disclosed that men of the SSS were already interrogating the suspect.
According to the minister, the suspect was also already making useful disclosures on the matter.
The female suicide bomber, suspected to be a member of Boko Haram, was prevented from gaining entrance into the complex of the FCTA.
The incident happened last weekend, as the suspect was said to be from Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
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