Ten suspected suppliers of fuel to Boko Haram members, some of, nationals of the Republic of Niger, have been arrested by members of the Joint Task Force, known as Operation Salama, in Jigawa state. They were arrested in Birniwa local government area of the state while filling their jerry cans with petrol at midnight of Thursday in Birniwa..
Commandant of the 3 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, in charge of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, Brigadier General Hamisu Hassan who paraded the suspects in Birniwa town today, said that they were arrested based on surveillance and intelligence report.
According to him, the suspects travelled to Birnwa in Jagawa state to buy the fuel as the sales of same in jerry cans has been banned in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states.
General Hassan said that preliminary investigation revealed that some of the suspects are from Nguru while others are nationals of Niger Republic, adding that two of them are below the age of 14.
He said that items recovered from the suspects included 33,000 litres truck filled with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 40 jerry cans loaded with PMS, 188 empty jerry cans and Toyota Land Cruiser.
The Commandant said that the suspects would be handed over to relevant security agencies for further investigation even as he warned owners of filling stations not to sell fuel in jerry cans which could be used to aid the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.
He appealed to state governments to cooperate with the Army to combat insurgency in the country, reiterating the determination of the Nigerian Army to end insurgency in December as per the deadline set by President Muhammadu Buhari. [myad]
