Minna, Nigeria - Following reports of the migration of the notorious Boko Haram Islamic sect into Niger State, the police in the state say it arrested eight persons within the Minna metropolis suspected to be members of the sect.
Speaking in an interview shortly after parading the suspects at the state police headquarters in Minna, Commissioner of Police, Mike Zuokumor, said the suspects were arrested around Limawa and Angwan-daji area.
Zuokumor, who solicited the support and cooperation of the general public to provide security information to the police of anyone suspected to habour the sect members, said the eight people were arrested following a report from the public on their activities in the area.
The police commissioner, who had just finished briefing his men before they set out for the day’s patrol, said, “As you can see, what we are doing is to tell the public that there is nothing to fear about; we are ready to fish out anybody that belongs to the Boko Haram or anybody that is harbouring them”.
Items found in their possession included: three cutlasses, two knives, assorted charms, sickle knives and dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
Meanwhile, the police have intensified patrol of all parts of the Minna metropolis to quell possible breakdown of law and order as reports of the infiltration of the Boko Haram into Minna metropolis filtered into town.
Our correspondent who went round town reports that, police patrol teams with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) were stationed at strategic positions combatant ready to checkmate trouble makers in parts of Minna, the state capital.