Nigerian Military Releases 144 out of 486 Terror Suspects in Abia

The sojourners had, en masse, embarked on a nocturnal migration from northern part of Nigeria with 35 buses when they were unceremonially disembarked in Aba, Abia State, along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway. Two drivers out of the 35 were said to have escaped arrest with their passengers and are still at large. Major General Chris Olukolade, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence had announced that a wanted Boko Haram Kingpin whom he declined to identify by name but had always been on the military radar watch list was identified amongst the 486 “travellers”.

“144 of the number have been released. It is expected that the media and the general public will be kept abreast of further developments,” - Mr Mike Omeri

Reliable insider in a security outfit, however, reliably informed Elombah.com that over 80 of the travellers have been identified as terror suspected. However, following some intensive Intel by the military, 144 out of the 486 arrested were released after preliminary examination, according to Mr Mike Omeri, Coordinator of the National Information Centre. Mr Omeri also said that a suspected sponsor of the travellers has been identified by security Personnels, though he declined to provide details of the sponsor. The Nigerian military and Abia state government had come under serious tongue-lashing by various Northern individuals and groups over what they perceived as gross violation of the unfettered right s of those travellers to travel to, and when, they wheresoever deem fit, which no doubt necessitated the hasty release of those found non-culpable in the terrorism raging in the North.

“144 of the number have been released. It is expected that the media and the general public will be kept abreast of further developments,” Mr Omeri said. “Importantly, one of the (suspects) connected with the package of the trip has been named and investigation is painstakingly continuing to unravel the issues involved in the incidence,” he added.