TheCable

A civilian joint task force in Lagos says it arrested six suspected members of Boko Haram during the weekend at different locations in Lagos.

The suspects said they are indigenes of Borno state, and that they fled Bama, Baga and Konduga local government council areas of Borno state because of the intensity of military attacks on insurgents in the state.

Mustapha Mohammed, head of the civilian joint task force in Lagos, told journalists two of the suspects were arrested at Isheri-Ojodu Berger, three others at their hideout in Victoria Island and the sixth suspect close to a church in Festac town.

“One of their leaders that was hiding at a church in FESTAC town was arrested and handed over to security agents,” Mohammed said to journalists

“You know we are from Borno State where these people also hail from and we know their communities. Our people back home do monitor them, and once they leave Maiduguri, we would be alerted so that we can be on the lookout.”

He said his group has members spread across 57 local government areas in Lagos and Ogun states, and has been in operation for five years.

He said the aim of his force is to curtail the activities of Boko Haram in the two states.

Mohammed said the group had previously arrested several Boko Haram members and handed them over to the Department of State Security(DSS) and the police.

“Once they arrive any community in Lagos, our members are always on ground to fish them out based on intelligence report and once they are arrested, we hand them over to security agencies for further investigation and prosecution,” the traditional head of the Kanuris in Lagos explained.