Army Arrests 37 Boko Haram Suspects in Lagos, Ogun

• To appraise operations, restrategise

The 81 Division of the Nigerian Army yesterday said it arrested 37 suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Lagos and Ogun States within the last 15 months.

The outgone General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj.-Gen. Isidore Edet, disclosed this in Lagos while handing over to his successor, Maj. Gen. Ebenezer Oyefolu.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Edet said the Division, under his watch, arrested the terrorists in different parts of the two states.

“As Boko Haram is being defeated, the terrorists run to other parts of the country. From the period I took over in August 2015 till date, we arrested 37 Boko Haram suspects.

“We will continue to arrest them and hand them over to the appropriate authorities,’’ he said.
This is as the military noted that the essence of the Chief of Army Staff Conference fixed for December 4, 2016 in Owerri, Imo State capital would be for the army to carry out a reassessment of all its committed operations and also come up with new blue-prints for the operations of the army.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division Enugu, General Ibrahim Attahiru, who visited Governor Rochas Okorocha at the Government House with his team, said they had come for the final preparation to ensure a hitch-free conference.

General Attahiru said that, they had chosen Owerri for the conference because Imo State provides a very good ambient atmosphere for such conference and added that about 460 officers of the Nigeria Army will be attending the conference.

He said: “I am pleased to say that the support received from the Imo State government has been impressive. We have gone round the location of the conference and could not thank the Imo government enough for the quality of facilities on ground.  Imo State has made giant strides and the army would want to provide an atmosphere for the continued growth and socio-economic development of the state.”

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State in his remark expressed appreciation for such a gesture to host the high military command in the state.  According to him, “I’m very appreciative of the fact that Imo has been chosen for the army conference. We cannot over-emphasise the economic impact and attention it will draw to Imo State across the globe.”