Nigerian military suspects 87 of 486 travellers arrested in Abia to be terrorists
The Military Joint Task Force patrolling the streets in search of Boko Haram extremists
About 87 of the over 486 travellers arrested in Abia State are suspected to be members of the insurgent Boko Haram group, a security source has told PREMIUM TIMES.
The travellers were arrested on Monday in Aba, along Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway, while travelling from Northern Nigeria to Port Harcourt in several buses.
The Director of Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, had, in a statement on Tuesday, said a wanted Boko Haram suspect was identified during the screening of those arrested. He, however, did not name the suspect.
Mr. Olukolade also stated that those identified as possible security risks or illegal immigrants would be separated from their colleagues for further action.
A top security source, however, told PREMIUM TIMES, Thursday, that apart from the one earlier confirmed to be a wanted terrorist, 86 others are now suspected to be terrorists.
“But to be double sure, we have called for additional screening,” he said.
He confirmed that the suspects were all headed to Port Harcourt when they were arrested. He said that most of them, however, had never been to Port Harcourt before now and some did not even have up to N1,000 on them.
He stated that although no weapons were discovered on them, a certain kind of body marks associated with terrorists was noted on them.
He disclosed that the suspects were being held at 144 Battalion, close to Umuahia in Abia State although the confirmed kingpin has been moved to a different location.
He, however, refused to disclose the name of the suspected “confirmed kingpin”, saying it could jeopardise investigations, as some persons linked to him might try to escape from the country if his name was mentioned.
“The kingpin is making very useful statements. Initially, he was trying to deceive the interrogators until he was confronted with fresh info,” the source said.
When PREMIUM TIMES approached Mr. Olukolade with the information from the reliable source, he declined comment.
“I cannot say anything now, the screening is still ongoing,” Mr. Olukolade, a Major General, said.
The arrest of the travellers has sparked controversy with some Nigerians arguing that they might be innocent northerners travelling to the south in search of work even as others suspect the extremist Boko Haram sect might be scheming to make incursion into the south of Nigeria.
The Boko Haram group, which has killed thousands of people since its insurgency began in 2009, has limited its activities to Northern Nigeria leading to the declaration of a State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.
The sect, however, recently threatened to attack other parts of the country.
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