By Chizoba Ogebche
Abuja
Department of State Services (DSS) has said its operatives have arrested seven high profile members of the Boko Haram sect, alongside 10 other members of the sect as well as 15 suspected kidnappers.
The service in a press statement by Tony Opuiyo, yesterday in Abuja, said the suspects were arrested in operations in various parts of the country which significantly degraded capabilities of hoodlums, especially kidnappers and terrorists.
He said one of the suspected kingpins, Adenoyi Abdulsalam, was arrested in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state, by a Joint Military/DSS operation team on March 20, 2017.
According to the service, Abdulsalam was on the final stages of kidnapping some high-level targets in Ekiti, not only to raise funds but also to terrorise communities in the state.
He said prior to his arrest, several other Boko Haram suspects had been apprehended in various parts of the north including Niger, Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Kogi states.
Opuiyo said one Nasiru Sani, a.k.a Osama, who is a top commander of the sect and was discovered to have escaped from Bauchi Central Prison in October 2010 and hid in Maiduguri, Borno state, was arrested at Ahmadu Bello Way, Bauchi, on March 15.
Similarly, the service arrested one Ahmed Muhammed, another suspected high-profile Boko Haram terrorist, who is said have kept custody of many persons abducted by sect members during their operations.
One Yusuf Hayatudeen, who reportedly threatened to bomb a radio station in Okene, Kogi state, was also arrested at Oziokutu Adavi LGA, Kogi state, on January 31, 2017.
Also, one Adamu Jibrin, who is said to have served as a middleman for Boko Haram members and their commanders, especially the one simply identified as Kanumbu, was arrested on the same date at Jeka-da-Fari Market, Gombe state. He operated under the pseudo name of Dantata Sule.
He further stated that one Suleiman Yahaya, who had been on the wanted list of security agencies, was arrested during a raid in Potiskum LGA, Yobe state, on February 2, this year for his role in several terrorist attacks in Borno and Yobe states.
Abdullahi Isah, who is a suspected armourer of the sect, the statement further said, was arrested at the Lafia Modern Market, Lafia, Nasarawa state for gun-running to raise funds for Boko Haram operations.
The service, he said also arrested a suspected Boko Haram Commander and Food Supplier, Ibrahim Fulata and his associates: Shamsudeen Aliyu, Zaharadeen Ibrahim; and Suleiman Abubakar at Zaria Clinic, Dutsen Tanshi area of Bauchi LGA of Bauchi state, on February 28, 2017.
The tactical team of the service also arrested the trio of Uwais Abubakar, Abdullahi Umaru and Mukhtar Suleman, who are Boko Haram terrorists on February 9, this year, at Ayingba, Dekina LGA of Kogi state.
He said the suspects were actively involved in series of attacks on select targets in Kogi state such as the Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Kogi State University and the newly constructed Kogi State Revenue House, Lokoja.
He said the duo of Ibrahim Sule and Bello Shehu were arrested on March 13, this year, at Nasarawa town, Nasarawa LGA of Kaduna state, over their alleged involvement in the kidnap of two German nationals, Dr.Peter Breuning and Johannes Brehinger on February 22, this year, at Pahkogo, Kagarko LGA, Kaduna state.
Opuiyo said the suspects were being questioned to establish other possible members of the network.
According to him, the team on February 9, this year, at Umuahia, Abia state, arrested Tochukwu Prince Johnson and Madubuike Christopher Iromaka, for alleged threat to abduct two prominent businessmen, Obioma Okorie and Chidozie Ohabuchiro.
Also, a notorious local bandit, Saidu Musa, was arrested in Makarfi LGA of Kaduna state, for terrorising people of the area, just as a pump action gun and 23 cartridges were discovered in his vehicle, Toyota Carina KRD 523 EZ Lagos.
In another development, the service also arrested a suspected kidnapper, Ashiru Abubakar, on February 3, 2017, at Maraban Jos Junction, Igabi LGA of Kaduna state.
He said the suspect was a member of the notorious gang that kidnapped 11 travellers along Kaduna-Abuja road, where they extorted several millions of naira from them to buy their freedom.
A notorious kidnapper/cattle rustler, Abubakar Mohammed a.k.a Baba Dogo, was also arrested by the service on February 24, this year, at Bosso LGA, Niger state, just as another suspected kidnapper, Idris Baba, was shot dead while trying to evade arrest at Ankpa Town, Kogi state, on the same date.
