Army arrests suspected terrorist, Taraba district head’s abductors

Troops of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have apprehended a suspected Boko Haram terrorist in Taraba State.

The suspect, identified as Nura Yakubu, was arrested at Garba Chede in Bali Local Government Council of the state on December 20, 2024.

In a statement made available yesterday to the media in Jalingo, the state capital, the Acting Spokesperson of the Brigade, Captain Oni Olubodunde, announced that the army also arrested the kidnappers of a district head in the state.

The district head was kidnapped in Jalingo metropolis on November 27, 2024, and subsequently released after a ransom was paid.

“Following the unfortunate kidnapping of a district head within Jalingo Local Government Area on November 27, 2024, and his subsequent release after a ransom payment, troops intensified intelligence-driven operations to track and apprehend the perpetrators. This effort led to the arrest of Musa Suito on December 18, 2024, in the Jalingo metropolis.

“The suspect, a member of a Vigilante Group providing security services to prominent and wealthy individuals, exploited his position to gather information on potential targets for kidnappers. Items recovered from him included one Dane gun and two cartridges,” the statement read.

Explaining the suspected Boko Haram terrorist’s activities, investigations, according to the Brigade, “revealed that the suspect, a food vendor, was involved in harbouring Boko Haram terrorists deployed to Taraba State for terrorist activities.”

Further findings by the troops linked Yakubu and his gang to the kidnapping of a businessman, Mr Arinze, and the son of Alhaji Ibrahim in the Garbatau community of Bali Local Government Council.

Overwhelmed by the development, Brigade Commander Kingsley Uwa said that the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army remains steadfast in its mission to ensure the safety and security of lives and property across Taraba State and beyond.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to enhance the fight against criminal elements.