Special Forces Capture Boko Haram Leader In Secret Operation; Scores Killed

The campaign against terrorists in the
North-East intensified with the capture
of a top leader of Boko Haram and the
killing of about 70 insurgents at the
sect's stronghold in the notorious
Gwoza Hills, Borno State.
"On Thursday, soldiers arrested a
top member of the Boko Haram
around the Gwoza Hills after the
battle of Wednesday night when
troop took over the hills.
"The Boko Haram member must
be a very high ranking member of
the group if not the head because
he had several Toyota Land
Cruiser jeeps in his escort when
he was captured.
"Another thing is that they didn't
want anybody to know his
identity; the commanders
immediately flew the man to
Abuja; as we are talking, the man
is being interrogated there."
A highly placed security source
confirmed the arrest of the Boko Haram
leader to Punch but would not make
any further comment on the issue for
security reasons.
Investigations by Punch revealed that
the leader was arrested on Thursday
evening while he was trying to flee the
bombarded Gwoza Hills with some black
Toyota Land Cruiser sports utility
vehicle in his escort.
It was learnt that the Special Forces
captured him alive and flew him
immediately out of Borno State to
Abuja for interrogation in one of the
military formations in Abuja.
An inside source said that the arrest of
the man suspected to be one of the
topmost commanders of the deadly sect
(if not the leader), had triggered
anxiety among security agents in Borno
State.
Security officials believe that the
captured Boko Haram leader might be a
very key person to the operation of the
sect for him to have such a massive and
luxurious escort comprising Toyota Land
Cruiser vehicles.
The special forces waited for the convoy
of the insurgents on their way to Bama
when an intelligence report was
received that they (the insurgents)
were on their way to launch another
attack. They were moving in 15 trucks
loaded with fighters when they ran into
the ambush of the troops.
The troops destroyed seven of the
trucks which caught fire and killed
about 30 of the insurgents. However, it
was stated that the insurgents escaped
with eight of the vehicles in the convoy.
It is believed that the Boko Haram
members have gone into hiding to
strategize for another attack.