it had arrested a number of security personnel over links to Islamist
extremist group Boko Haram, whose insurgency has killed hundreds of
people.
The arrests came after soldiers from a special military unit deployed
in the northeastern city of Maiduguri arrested an immigration officer,
Grema Mohammed, for allegedly being an active member of Boko Haram, a
military spokesman said.
Boko Haram is blamed for deadly attacks that have killed more than
1,400 people since 2010 as part of an insurgency in northern.
The arrest "led to further arrests of some other security personnel
that had been participating in various terrorist attacks in Borno and
Yobe states," Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa said of the two states in
northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram has been based.
He did not specify how many arrests had been made.
"He confessed to being an active member of the Boko Haram terrorist
sect which he joined long before the 2009 crisis," Musa said in a
statement in reference to a 2009 uprising by the group.
"He also confessed to having been trained alongside 15 other members
of the sect on weapon handling, assassination and special operations
in Niger republic," Musa added, referring to the neighbouring nation.
Grema was arrested over a month ago at a checkpoint while allegedly
impersonating an army lieutenant, Musa said.
He also said that Grema had equally confessed to the killings of some
senior civil servants, security agencies and top politicians in
Damaturu and Damboa council area of Borno state, who also spoke
against the activities of the sect including the slain former Chairman
of Damboa council area, Late Alhaji Lawan Kagu.
He had also participated in attacks on police stations, a prison and
the burning of public schools, Musa said.
There have previously been accusations of involvement of some security
personnel in the attacks, which have grown increasingly sophisticated.
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