News report coming out of the BBC Africa indicates the State Security Services [SSS] of Nigeria has arrested Abul Qaqa, the spokesman of terrorist Islamic group, Boko Haram. The spokesman was arrested in Borno State yesterday.
Details are still sketchy. Efforts to confirm the arrest through the SSS office proved evasive.
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However the Daily Trust Newspaper reports that a senior official of the SSS who does not want his name in print confirmed that Qaqa was arrested in Maiduguri on Tuesday.
Another officer of the SSS said the chief spokesman was tracked through the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.
“It was a landmark feat that was achieved through collaboration with various stakeholders,” he said.
“Qaqa is a senior member of the Shura (Supreme Council) of the sect and his arrest is probably the biggest ever made by security forces since after the death of the leader of the sect Mohammed Yusuf in 2009,” the SSS source said.
“We have finally picked him up and he is currently in our custody, you can report that as a confirmed development,” the source added.
A member of the sect, who called journalists in Maiduguri today but did not give his name also confirmed the arrest of Qaqa, whom he said is one of their leaders.
“Yes, Mallam was picked yesterday,” the member said. “Some security officials traced the house where he stayed and picked him. There was no exchange of gunshots or any scuffle between our members and the security agents,” he said.
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According to Reuters
Stay tuned
