Nigeria - Police Arrest Another Boko Haram Commander Salisu Mohammed In Gombe

GOMBE, Nigeria, Jan. 16 — Police in Nigeria’s northeastern Gombe State on Wednesday said they arrested another commander of the Boko Haram sect, barely two days after a leader of the sect was arrested in the northern state of Borno in the West African country.

Gombe State Commissioner of Police Mohammed Sule identified the arrested sect commander as Salisu Mohammed, who had already confessed to the security agents that he spearheaded several attacks in the state.

The Boko Haram commander in the state was arrested on Tuesday, with gunshot injuries, according to the police chief.

“He is one of the notorious leaders of the sect we had been searching for. He had even confessed that he committed so many atrocities including the recent killing of military men. He also confessed that he masterminded the ambush of some police officers recently,” said the top cop.

Sule said a serious manhunt had been launched for other accomplices of the sect commander, following his confessions. Already, the police had gotten clue on how to track other members of the sect who were still at large, he added.

At the weekend, authorities of the Nigerian military said they arrested Mohammed Zangina, also known as Musa, leader of the Boko Haram sect in the north central part of Nigeria and coordinator of most of the suicide attacks and bombings in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Potiskum.

According to Lt.-Col Sagir Musa, spokesperson of the military Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State, Zangina was among 10 commanders of the militant sect wanted and labelled as terrorists by the Nigeria military authority.

More than 1,500 people had been reportedly killed since 2009, in attacks orchestrated by the Boko Haram sect which operates mainly in the northern and central parts of Nigeria.