Wife of Boko Haram leader arrested

Hamza Suleiman/Maiduguri

The Borno Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Ibrahim Abdullahi said one of the two female Boko Haram bombers nabbed by the command is the wife of Mamman Nur, a factional leader of the terrorist group.

The teenager who was identified as Fatima Muhammed Kabir, was arrested recently, along with another woman, Amina Salihu at Borno Express Motor Park. Their mission was to carry out an Improvised Explosive Device attack in Maiduguri, the women disclosed during interrogation.

Ibrahim disclosed that an NSDCC official who posed as a captured Boko Haram Amir was the one that interviewed the women.

The commandant spoke at the commissioning of the newly donated equipment by the U.S Department of state on Wednesday in Maiduguri.

Ibrahim said many Boko Haram members have surrendered their arms and renounced their campaign of terror, through the command’s civil approach to issues.

“More than 40 Boko Haram members have surrendered through the command. We have handed them over to the military for rehabilitation under the Operation Safe Corridor.

“We are able to convince them to surrender their arms and accept meaningful de-radicalisation and reintegration opportunity offered them by the government.

“During their stay in the command, they said they are now praying five times in a day as against when they are fighting in the forest,” he said.

Ibrahim said his command enjoys harmonious working relationship with its sister security agencies in the counter terrorism operation.

Ibrahim added that more than 1,000 personnel are currently deployed in the counter terrorism operations in the Northeast, along with other security agencies in the state.