The 144 battalion of the Nigerian Army, Asa in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State arrested a convoy of 33 buses conveying 486 Boko Haram militants including eight females between Aro Ngwa and Imo Gate along the Enugu- Port Harcourt expressway in Abia state on Monday, June 16, 2014.
They claimed to have come from different parts of the Northern states and aged mainly between 16 and 24 and were said to be searching for jobs.
This arrest comes just a day after the police foiled a plot to bomb a church in Owerri, Imo State and arrested six Islamist extremist while planting the bombs in the church.
The suspects were being conveyed in over 30 buses when the military men intercepted them at the road between Aro-Ngwa and Imo Gate along the expressway, reports say.
Some of the buses conveying more persons reportedly sped off and escaped arrest.
The Abia state government officials have described the suspects as members of the dreaded Islamist extremist group, though no evidence has been made available to the public yet to establish a link between them and the terror group.
There has been no report of arms and ammunition being found on the arrested suspects.
They claimed to have come from different parts of the Northern states and aged mainly between 16 and 24 and were said to be searching for jobs.
This arrest comes just a day after the police foiled a plot to bomb a church in Owerri, Imo State and arrested six Islamist extremist while planting the bombs in the church.
The suspects were being conveyed in over 30 buses when the military men intercepted them at the road between Aro-Ngwa and Imo Gate along the expressway, reports say.
Some of the buses conveying more persons reportedly sped off and escaped arrest.
The Abia state government officials have described the suspects as members of the dreaded Islamist extremist group, though no evidence has been made available to the public yet to establish a link between them and the terror group.
There has been no report of arms and ammunition being found on the arrested suspects.
