Man Linked To Chibok Abductions Arrested

A wanted Boko Haram kingpin,
Jarasu Shira, was arrested
yesterday morning in Damboa,
Borno State, Daily Trust
learnt. The suspect, who also
goes by the alias Jarido, was
arrested at a motor park at
about 8.30am along with 10
other suspected members of
the group who escorted him to
Damboa to board a vehicle to
Biu.
The suspected terrorists were
arrested by members of the
vigilante popularly known as
Civilian JTF. The JTF provide
support to the Nigeria military
battling the militant group in
the north-east. Shira is said to
be number one on a new list
of wanted men by the Nigeria
military. “He was disguised in
a cowboy outfit to escape
arrest but the vigilance of the
civilian JTF paid off, Daily
Trust further gathered. A
source who pleaded for
anonymity because he was not
authorised to speak on the
arrest told Daily Trust that the
suspect was on his way to
Lagos. He is believed to be
the leader of the Boko Haram
militants in Damboa, Chibok
and Askira Uba local
government areas of Borno
state.
The source said the suspect is
believed to be a ranking
figure in the Boko Haram
hierarchy. He is also thought
be so powerful in the group
that he might have
knowledge of the
whereabouts of the Chibok
girls kidnapped in April 2014
from their school. The
Defence headquarters in
Abuja yesterday confirmed
the arrest.
Defence spokesman Brigadier
General Rabe Abubakar said
the arrest of Shira was not
surprising as security agencies
have been arresting several
Boko Haram suspects in the
North East. Brigadier General
Abubakar told Daily Trust last
night that the harvest of
arrests in the north east was
as a result of the renewed
synergy amongst security
agencies. He said these
arrests are taking place as
suspected Boko Haram
members are spotted at motor
parks and other routes trying
to escape from the north east
into other ‘free or safe zones.’
Daily Trust learnt that the
suspects have been handed
over to military authorities in
Biu, Borno state.
In a related development, a
road side bomb suspected to
have been planted by
members of the Boko Haram
went off on Wednesday when
a passing military vehicle
stepped on it. Details of the
blast remained sketchy at
press time.