Boko Haram: Army dismissed us from warfront – Robbery suspects

By Bashir Mohammed

 

Kano

 

Two suspected armed robbers arrested by the police in Army camoufl age uniform have confi rmed that they were dismissed from the Nigerian Army for deserting the battle ground at the height of the Boko Haram warfare in Baga and Bama, respectively.
The duo, Abubakar Ibrahim and Jaduwa Th alma said they took the decision to abscond from their area of assignment after realizing the danger of confronting the Boko Haram militias with their ammunition exhausted affirming that they were overpowered to the extent of becoming helpless, in the face of the superior fire power of the militias.
According to one of the suspects, Jaduwa Th alma, even though they were dismissed from the Nigerian Army for absconding their areas of assignment, he was still proud of the knowledge he acquired and that he would be guided by such training throughout the rest of his life.
“I am not afraid of anybody as an ex- soldier.
I deserted from the front line not because I was totally scared.
I only took the decision knowing that I was prone to serious danger with my ammunition exhausted.
” Shedding more light on how the two suspects were trapped and apprehended by the operatives of the Special Anti- Squad from Kano and Katsina, Kano state police command Public Relations Officer, DSP Magaji Musa Majiya, said the two were arrested in full camouflage Army uniform and were about to cross over to Niger Republic with a brand new robbed unregistered Ford Hilux (Navy blue colour) vehicle.
According to him, the suspects were alleged to have attacked the vehicle owner in Port Harcourt, Rivers state and through prompt dissemination of information, they were arrested with the robbed vehicle by the joint SARS operatives from Kano and Katsina states command.
He said during interrogation, the suspects had confessed to being dismissed soldiers, who deserted from the service of the Nigerian Army when posted to Baga and Bama on Operation Latiya Dole and eventually took to crime.
He said, “The principal suspect, Abu Soja, is a notorious armed robber who was declared wanted by the IGP Special Tactical Squad, SARS Rivers state command and has a pending robbery case at SCIID Bompai Kano.
“This crackdown was a result of the commitment of the InspectorGeneral of Police towards training and retraining of personnel, sharing information and synergy with sister security agencies in fighting crimes.

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