10 Suspected Members of Boko Haram Arrested in Southwestern State, Names and Location Released
- The Department of State Services (DSS) arrested 10 suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP members in Ilesa, Osun State, during a raid on 16 December 2024
- The suspects were apprehended while undergoing training on how to manufacture and detonate explosives
- The arrests created confusion among the local community, as the suspects were known residents involved in everyday commerce
Details have emerged about the operations of the Department of State Services (DSS), which led to the arrest of 10 suspected members of Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Ilesa, Osun State.
The operation took place at an old bungalow building near St. Mary Catholic Church, Ifofin, and Ogbon Idio, Ilesa, in the Ilesa-East Local Government Area.
10 Suspected Members of Boko Haram Arrested in Southwestern State, Names and Location ReleasedSource: Getty Images
Operation Details and Arrests
The raid occurred around 1am on 16 December 2024 and was executed by a team of approximately 30 DSS operatives.
News of the arrests became public on 10 January 2025, when the DSS sought an order from a Federal High Court in Abuja to detain the suspects for 60 days.
The suspects, identified as Adamu Abubakar (aka Abu Aisha), Babagana Bashuli, Muhammed Adam, Mustapha Abacha, Katuru Muhammed, Babakura Abacha, Muhammed Ciroma, Ali Gambo, Muhammed Umoru, and Muhammed Bundi, were apprehended while undergoing training on how to manufacture and detonate explosives.
Investigation and Tactical Operations
The DSS revealed that the suspects were members of the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group. The operation, which led to their arrest, lasted 90 days and involved two different teams from the DSS headquarters.
The first team arrived in Ilesa in late September, while the second team arrived in mid-November 2024.
The Osun command was not involved in the operation due to a compromised signal on ISWAP activities in Ilesa.
Community Impact and Reactions
The arrests created confusion among other northerners in the area and members of the mosque where the suspects prayed.
One of the arrested suspects, Abubakar (aka Abu Aisha), was a known wristwatch dealer at the popular roundabout in Ilesa. The lack of information about their whereabouts led to concern and confusion among their community members.
South-Western State
Osun State is located in the southwestern region of Nigeria. It was created in 1991 from part of the old Oyo State.
The state is known for its rich cultural heritage, including the annual Osun-Osogbo Festival, which celebrates the river goddess Osun.
The capital city is Osogbo. Osun State is also home to several educational institutions, including Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife.
Boko Haram Insurgents Kill Prominent Pastor
TheTalk.NG reported that Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed Pastor Luka Levong of the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) in Kwari, Geidam local government area (LGA) of Yobe state.
The attack, the first major assault that Boko Haram has waged in Yobe in 2024, also killed five others. Geidam is located 177 kilometers away from Damaturu, the state capital, and is about 40 kilometres away from the Nigeria-Niger Republic border.
Some residents, who evacuated the corpses to the Specialist Hospital Geidam, said that the attackers invaded the community around 2:00am on Friday, January 5, and shot the pastor and his church treasurer Maina Abdullahi.
Source: TheTalk.NG
