Troops of 3 Division, Sector 5 and 27 Task Force Brigade of Nigerian Army arrested a Boko Haram commander who doubles as an engineer at Gishiwa Dabua and Garejin Audu areas of Potiskum in Yobe State in the early hours of Thursday.

Other arrested suspects include Ibrahim Jagwal (38) and Audu Ahmadu a.k.a. Condemned (45), who specialises in repairs of automobiles for the terrorist group.

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, disclosed this yesterday in a statement issued to newsmen in Maiduguri.

The statement reads in part: “The suspected terrorist who turned out to be the Ameer (commander) of the Boko Haram Terrorists at Tumbin Gini, Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State, also led the team to Garejin Audu in Potiskum, where another terror suspect, Audu Ahmadu, is a Boko Haram engineer who specializes in repairs of automobiles for the Boko Haram terrorist group.”

The vehicles, according to Usman, were recovered by the troops while the suspects were taken into custody for onward movement to Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC).

Usman further disclosed that troops of 29 and 156 Task Force Battalion and Brigade also carried out “clearance and rescue military operations” near Abalam and South West of Alagarno forest of Sambisa.

He said that when the troops engaged the terrorists, they fled, but the soldiers pursued them and recovered three bows and five packs of quivers stocked with 144 arrows.

The terrorists’ camp of Gemri village, he added, was destroyed, while the 47 rescued hostages were moved to Maiduguri Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp for screening and resettlement.

Explaining how 47 hostages were rescued, Usman said: “The troops pursued the fleeing terrorists and discovered that they left behind seven men, 13  women and 27 children that were held hostage at Gemri village in Sambisa Forest.”