1,000 Boko Haram members arrested in South West - Hausa Leader

                                    
The Head of the Hausa Community in Lagos, Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos, Alhaji Sani Kabir has disclosed that the northerners in the South West have arrested no fewer than 1000 members of the Boko Haram insurgents in various parts of the region.

Kabir gave this shocking revelation yesterday in Abuja when the Arewa Council of Chiefs in the South West visited the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN).

He said the arrests were made at different times, adding that those who were arrested were Boko Haram members who fled from the Civilian JTF/military onslaught on the insurgents in the North East and those who came to the South West to further the insurgency.

“So far in the South West, we have peace and this is achieved through the collaboration of Arewa people and chiefs.

“You can confirm with the security agencies, we have arrested more tham 1,000 Boko Haram members throughout the South-West states.

“Any suspicious movement, we promptly report to the security agents, because we believe that the problem is actually the Nigerian problem, but if there is any breakdown of law and order in the South-West, we are the prime targets, irrespective of whether you are a member of Boko Haram or not.

“All the Arewa sarkis (kings) in the South-West are up and doing, to make sure that we do not allow any breakdown of law and order in our communities,” he said

On how the arrests were made, he said, “we inform our leaders when new people come into our midst, and we observe their behaviour. Some of the leaders in the South-West are northerners, some of them are from Borno State, they can know.

“There were even instances where JTF do come from Borno State to identify some of them,” adding that those identified as Boko Haram members were immediately handed over to security agencies.

Responding, the minister, who received the group on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, thanked the Arewa leaders for their efforts to ensure that insurgency does not extend to the South-West.

“I want to thank you for the enormous support you have given to this government and for the enormous support you have given to Mr President as a person right from the time of the 2011 electioneering to date,” he said.