Nigeria's military said Monday it had broken
up a Boko Haram intelligence cell and arrested its leader, alleged to have
taken part in the abduction of over 200 teenage girls in April.
A defence headquarters statement said that
troops have found a militants' 'intelligence cell' headed by a businessman
"who participated actively in the abduction of school girls in
Chibok," in northeast Borno state last April 14.
Of the 276 girls abducted, 57 have been found
while 219 are still missing.
The businessman identified as Babuji Ya’ari,
who was also a member of a civilian youth group that worked along with the
military, popularly known as Civilian JTF (Joint Task Force), allegedly used
his position as a cover to work for the militants, it said.
"The arrest of the businessman who is
known to deal in tricycles has also yielded some vital information and
facilitated the arrest of other members of the terrorists’ intelligence cell
who are women," the military said.
The statement accused the suspect of spying
for the Islamists as well as spearheading the murder of Emir of Gwoza in Borno
state a month ago.
A grab made on May 5, 2014 from a video
obtained by AFP shows the leader of the Islamist extremist g …
He has been coordinating several deadly
attacks in Maiduguri since 2011, including the attacks on customs and military
locations in the town, a hotbed of the sect, it said.
There is no independent confirmation of the
military claim.
Boko Haram Islamists are blamed for killing
thousands since 2009, but the first half of this year has been the bloodiest
stretch of the insurgency, with more than 2,000 people killed.
An attack on churches on Sunday near Chibok
blamed on Boko Haram gunmen killed 54 people, an official has said.
They hurled explosives into churches, torched
buildings and fired on worshippers as they tried to flee, residents said.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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