NIGERIA: How Nigerian Army Came About the 100 Boko Haram Suspects

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai

The Nigerian Army has explained how it was able to get the images and list of the 100 suspected members of Boko Haram terrorists.

The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, said it took the military painstaking investigation and research to arrive at the list.

According to Usman, “Some of the suspects were noted through various Boko Haram video releases, eye witness accounts and materials captured during capture of their camps.”

“These are people who even have the list of the number of people they have killed, carrying guns, different arms, ammunitions and some of them are still hiding deep inside the Sambisa forest,” he said.

On why the names were not listed, the army spokesman said that the military “does not yet have the names and full details of the suspects” and urged members of the public to volunteer information that could assist in nabbing the terrorists.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, had on Wednesday in Maiduguri displayed “the photographs of 100 suspected Boko Haram terrorists declared wanted by the Nigerian Army,” urging the media to disseminate the information to the public to enable them assist with information on the wanted suspects.

Usman has however revealed that more suspects would be unveiled to the public, saying that the military are still analysing their findings.

“This 100 suspects are not all as more will be displayed, but we are appealing to the public, the media and agencies of the government to assist the military in this venture in order to identify them,” he urged.

The army spokesperson said the photographs of 100 suspected Boko Haram terrorists was to enable the public to assist with information on the suspects.

The military is therefore asking members of the public with information about any of them to report to security agents.

Meanwhile, pictures were gathered from various sources including video footage seized at overrun camps, surrendering terrorists and other sundry sources.

An intelligence source said: “Some of the suspects were actively involved in grievous atrocities against humanity from the recovered footage and testimonies from survivors and captured terrorists.”