Boko Haram Members Arrested In Lagos
September 02, 2009 14:57, 706 views

By Jide Osokoya

Four men suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect have been arrested in Lagos.

The men, Sulaiman Alli, Abdul Saniyu Sadu, Sulaimon Alimi Adeniyi and Abdul Hakeem Abdulrahamu were arrested on Sunday evening while allegelly distributing the sect’s pamphlets at the Lagos abattoir, Oko-Oba Road, Agege.

P.M.News gathered that the suspects, who had the symbolic Islamic long beard and dressed in the typical Islamic cleric manner, were busy creating awareness for the sect when on a tip-off, policemen from the Abattoir Police Station arrested them.

The suspects, who speak fluent Yoruba, with one of them carrying Yoruba tribal marks on his cheeks, were later transferred to Area ‘G’ Police Command, Ogba, where they were detained.

It was further learnt that the suspects were yesterday transferred to the State Anti-Vice Section of the State Police Command, GRA, Ikeja, for further investigation.

A police source told P.M.News that some of the pamphlets found on them were highly provocative.

The source also revealed that there were frantic efforts by two lawyers to secure their bail at Area ‘G’, but that they were not granted the bail as the case had already been transferred to the Anti-Vice Section of the State Police Command, Ikeja, Lagos.

Boko Haram, a religious extremist sect, on Sunday, 26 July, this year attacked a police station in Bauchi, Bauchi State, burning down the building and wounding policemen attached to the station. Some police officers were killed during the attack.

The mayhem within five days spread to other northern states including Borno, Yobe, Kano, Adamawa and Zamfara, leading to the death of over 1000 people, including policemen.

More than 600 members of the sect were later arrested as soldiers were drafted to the affected states and security was beefed up in the other northern states to forestall spread of the violence.

The Boko Haram sect, led by Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf, claimed western education and democracy were against the teachings of Islam. According to them, their agenda was to ensure the practice of Total Islam in all the states of the north where there is a large percentage of Muslims.

However, after five days of violent attacks, killing and maiming of supposed infidels, soldiers attacked the enclave of the sect’s leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in Maiduguri. He was captured and handed over to the Borno State Police Command. However, a few hours later, police authorities claimed he made attempt to escape and was killed.

Also killed during the crisis was a one-time Local Government Chairman and a former Commissioner for Religious Matters in Borno State, Alhaji Buji Soi. He was alleged to be a financier of the Islamists.

As calm returned to Bauchi, Borno and other northern states where the Boko Haram members held sway, more than 400 women suspected to be wives of the Islamic fundamentalists and children were rescued by soldiers.

Hope they won't be shot before evidence is gathered.

All hail the NPF!