Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
The Nigerian Army and Borno police command in collaboration with hunters; have arrested three soldiers and 22 suspected cultists and hoteliers in Maiduguri metropolis. The suspected cultists are students of University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Ramat Polytechnic, while the arrested soldiers are troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, fighting Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast. Parading the suspected cultists Sunday in Maiduguri, the police commissioner, Mohammed Aliyu said the Neo Black Movement ( NBV ) group, comprises some students of UNIMAID , Ramat Polytechnic and dismissed military personnel were arrested by the police in collaboration with hunters at various locations of metropolis.
He said they were arrested; while conducting their initiation procession with candles, calabashes containing reasonable quantity of red substance suspected to be human blood and charms of different kinds. He said the three soldiers arrested are in the custody of the Nigerian Army who will later release them to the police for prosecution.
His words: “The strategies put in place have again yielded results as 25 members of Neo Black Movement (NBM) were arrested . Meanwhile, on sighting command operatives/hunters, one of them (now at large) fired a gun shot in the air and took to his heels. “Recall that recently, there are reports on the activities of Cultists who are habitually intimidating innocent persons, conspiring and robbing filing stations of valuables within the Metropolis while armed with dangerous weapons and it is reasonably believed that those condemnable acts were committed by members of \Neo Black Movement (NBM).
He said members of Neo Black Movement (NBM) ran out of luck and the police delivered on its promise. He said exhibits recovered from suspects included; 16 handsets of different make; three calabashes containing r quantity of red liquid suspected to be human blood; a live 7.62mm ammunition; twenty pieces of students’ identity cards; two charms; five wrist watches, a finger ring, a phone charger and earpiece. “Other exhibits are; also included; a school bag containing four wallets, two voters cards, four ATM cards for GTB, Diamond bank and Ecobank); six SIM packs of different networks.
“There were 25-litre Jerry can containing some quantity of red liquid suspected to be human blood; Some quantity of gun powder, some white stones and razor blade in a calabash and One hand counter.” While briefing journalists over arrested three soldiers, before their dismissal after their arrest and handover to police for prosecution, Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen. Olusegun Adeniyi, said the arrested soldiers tried to forcefully escape before they were overwhelmed by the security agents. His words: “They have been tried and dismissed . Nobody in the northeast will condone criminality by Soldiers. In fact, we are harder on ourselves than anybody else.
“We were just dispelling the rumours of attack on Maiduguri in recent days , and I promise the Nigerian society that Maiduguri and its environs is safe and sound. Also, we received intelligence about the intention to kidnap students from the University of Maiduguri, and those people claimed to be Boko Haram. “So we sprayed our tentacles and were listening for everything. Luckily for us, yesterday, in the night , we received intelligence which led to the arrest of these robbers , kidnappers, parading themselves as cultists.As far as I am concerned, they are armed robbers and kidnapped in disguise as cultists.
“I’m saying this; because I am not looking at what group calls itself any longer. I’m looking at what a group of people are doing to label them what they are. “With the help of local hunters and other security agencies, Super Camp on wheels at Molai were able to arrest 25 armed robbers, kidnappers, including cultists at a hideout of outskirts of Maiduguri metropolis.”
