The Nigerian military has arrested two suspected Boko Haram members who smuggled themselves into a group of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) brought from Pulka to Gwoza IDP Camp in Borno State. The male suspects, who gave their names as Audu Umar and Hassan Umar, are now undergoing interrogation by military and intelligence operatives.

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

The spokesperson of Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-East, Air Commodore Dele Alonge, said the military cannot confirm the arrest of Shekau’s actor even as the military has sustained its counter-insurgency operations where some terrorists have been eliminated and others apprehended in the North-East.

Alonge said: “As you are aware, the Nigerian military has succeeded in routing out terrorists from some of their hideouts in the North-East and in the process some were eliminated and others have been arrested. We cannot at the moment provide the identities of those in our custody or in other places until after we have conducted thorough investigations.”

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

The arrested suspect was reported to have confessed to the Civilian JTF that he had acted as Boko Haram Leader, “Shekau” in some videos and was responsible for the death of his (Bashir’s) mother, two sisters and brother apart from engaging in mass slaughter. (PRNigeria)

•Photo shows one of the suspects, Audu Umar.

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