Vigilant security operatives on Friday made a major breakthrough in the intensified campaign against the Boko Haram insurgency by arresting the leader of the Ansaru Islamic Sect, Khalid Albarnawi.
The Acting Director Defence information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed the arrest of the top wanted terror suspect to one of Punch's correspondents on the telephone on Saturday.
He said Albanarwi was second in command to Abubakar Shekau in the hierarchy of Boko Haram.
He attributed the arrest of Albarnawi to effective collaborative efforts among the various security agencies in the country.
The acting Defence Spokesman said that with the arrest of the top leader of Ansaru, regarded as Shekau’s 2nd-in-command, the days of the Boko Haram Sect were numbered.
According to him, the terror suspect was cooperating with security operatives in volunteering information.
Abubakar was not specific about which of the security agencies were keeping the top terror suspect.
He called on Nigerians to cooperate with the security agencies in the ongoing onslaught on the Boko Haram by volunteering necessary information and intelligence.
He said, “I can confirm that he (Albarnawi) is in custody. It is a product of the existing synergy among the security agencies which led to this breakthrough in the war on terror.
“Nigerians should assist the security agencies with relevant information and intelligence, I can say that the days of Boko Haram are numbered.
“We have just confirmed that he has been nabbed and he is with the relevant agencies and as time goes, people would know how this kind of person was nabbed."
