Nigerian military authorities have confirmed the arrest on Wednesday morning of Jarasu Shira, alias Jarido, a man believed to be a ranking member of the Boko Haram terror group.
The suspect, who disguised as a cowboy to evade arrest, was apprehended at Damboa while trying to board a bus to Biu in Borno State, enroute Lagos.
According to reports, the suspect is believed to be the leader of the terror sect in Damboa, Chibok and Askira Uba local government areas of Borno. He was arrested by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) with 10 other suspected terrorists who escorted him to the bus terminal.
Shira is number one on a new list of wanted Boko Haram suspects released by the Army and is believed to be so high in the Boko Haram hierarchy that he is suspected to be in the loop on the whereabouts of the over 200 girls adopted from the Government Secondary School, Chibok in April 2014, Daily Trust reports.
The Defence spokesperson, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar said the wave of arrests is not surprising as the military was making the north east uncomfortable for the terrorists.
He added that the fact that many of the terrorists were being caught at motor parks showed that they were trying to escape to “safe or free zones”.
Furthermore, he attributed the gains from the war on terror to the synergy among the security agencies facing the terrorists.