Army arrests 1,240 Boko Haram suspects in Sambisa forest raid

The Nigerian Army said it had arrested about 1,240 suspected Boko Haram terrorists during a mop-up operation by troops inside the Sambisa forest.

The Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. -Gen. Lucky Irabor, disclosed this while giving an update to journalists on Operation Rescue Final at the Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.

Irabor said 413 of the suspects were adults, 323 were female adults, 251 male children, while 253 were female children.

He said the suspects were apprehended during a mop-up operation against the sect members in the forest.

“We are interrogating them to know whether they are Boko Haram members because there is no way somebody that is not their member would live inside Sambisa forest, “the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the army officer as saying to journalists on Wednesday. “We are still on the trail of the terrorists and I want to assure you that all escape routes have been blocked.

“Within this period, also, about 30 fleeing suspected Boko Haram members have surrendered to the Niger Multinational Troops on the shores of the Lake Chad and we learned that they were taken to Difa in the Niger Republic.

“The suspects included 24 male and six females.

“We would like to use this opportunity to encourage the terrorists to give up the fight because the window is still open.”