We Were Preparing To Strike In Ondo When I Was Arrested, Says Boko Haram Suspect
Suspected Boko Haram member, Mohammed Bashir has confessed that the sect was planning to strike in Ondo State, when he was arrested by the men of the state police command.
Bashir, who was arrested by the law enforcement agents on Sunday, at Isua-Akoko in Akoko Southeast Local Government area of the state, also disclosed that some members of the dreaded group are still in different parts of the state in order to attack people and facilities.
The suspect, who said that he was initiated into the sect while on one of his grazing outfit in the forest, stressed that he had only killed two persons since he joined the dreaded group eight months ago.
Bashir said “I was arrested while looking for a cafeteria along -side other members of the group in preparation for an operation which the group plans to carry out in the area.
“I hail from Nasarawa state and I was sent away by my father in Kano state who expressed concern over my continuous cold attitude at home. I was called upon later by my mother, who was receiving treatment at psychiatric hospital in Kano state for ear problem.
“Some of us have relocated to the South West, including Ondo State and some influential people in the country often supply us weapons used for our operations.”
Also, a security source told our Correspondent that Bashir was praying along the road when members of the public alerted the Police.
According to the source, the Anti-Crime patrol team met him on the Isua-Akoko/Abuja road and took him to the Police Station.
The source said, ” The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) asked Bashir why he was praying along the road but he said that he did not know any mosque, hence his action on the road and the DPO later directed him to the nearby mosque.”
He further disclosed that it was shortly after his departure that the DPO checked the list of wanted Boko Haram members and discovered that Bashir’s face matched the face of the one in 165 on the wanted list.
He said that at that point, the patrol team pursued Bashir and arrested him at the point he was arrested earlier, pretending to be praying on the same spot.
He further informed that the suspect was arrested at the same place where Idris Babawo a.k.a Dikko, was arrested last week. Babawo was 156 on the wanted list of the military.
Parading the suspect at the police headquarters along Igbatoro, Akure, the state capital, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Gbenga Adeyanju said that Bashir claimed to be a follower of one Daffo who is a loyalist to Shekau, the Boko Haram leader when interrogated .
Adeyanju said that the suspect would soon be transferred to the Nigerian Army for necessary action.