By Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force has apprehended one Umar Abdulmalik, said to be one of the most wanted Boko Haram terrorists, and leader of the Boko Haram cell in Kogi State.
Abdulmalik, 39, a native of Idoji Village Okene, Kogi State, is said to be an explosive expert for the insurgence group and the mastermind of the Nyanya and Kuje bombings in Abuja in 2015.
He and his group were also alleged to be behind the killings of seven police officers in Galadimawa Roundabout on 2nd July, 2018. He was also linked to the killing of two police officers around Abaji in June, 2018 and another police officer in Lugbe, Abuja on 4th November, 2018.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Jimoh Moshood said the suspect was arrested Thursday, 20th December, 2018 by the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by DCP Abba Kyari in a location at Ibafo, Lagos, while receiving treatment from the bullet wound he sustained during a shootout with the police.
According to the statement, Abdulmalik was shot on 26thNovember, 2018 at Bassa Village, off Airport Road, Abuja, during exchange of gun fire with the operatives of the Intelligence Response Team. Four of his gang members were arrested and three other suspects were subsequently arrested.
The arrested suspects included Abubakar Bello Sidi 29 years, a native of Obehira Village, Okene, Kogi State; Yusuf Abdulazeez 31, a.k.a Fine Boy, a native of Enyinare Village, Okene, Kogi State; Suleman Zakariya 24 years a.k.a Cause Trouble, who hails from Idah, Kogi State.
Others were Lukman Abdulmalik 25 years, a.k.a Lampard, native of Idoji Village, Okene, Kogi State; Haruna Lamidi 25 years, a native of Ihima village, Okehi, Kogi State; Abdullahi Mammanjimoh 30 years, a native of Idogido Village, Okene, Kogi State and Mustapha Adenoyi 34 years, a native of Ihima Village, Okehi, Kogi State.
The statement added that the suspects have already confessed to the crime.
It added that exhibits caught with the defendants included four Police AK47 rifles (carted away after killing the Policemen), Six (6) Magazines, Two Hundred and Seventy (270) rounds of AK47 ammunition and two Police walking talkie radio (carted away after killing the policemen) were recovered from them.
“Umar Abdulmalik confessed to be leader of Boko Haram Cell in Kogi State and was responsible for many terrorist attacks across the North-east, Niger State and the FCT, including the Nyanya and Kuje bombings in 2015. The Five (5) suspects now in prison custody earlier arrested in connection with Nyanya and Kuje bombings confessed that Umar Abdulmalik was the mastermind of Nyanya and Kuje bombings in 2015 and he was responsible for the manufacturing and use of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) in the Nyanya and Kuje bombings.
“The suspects further admitted that Umar Abdulmalik is the owner of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) factory discovered by the Police in Gaulaka Village, near Suleja, Niger State in 2015.
“The Boko Haram terrorist gang during interrogation and investigation also confessed to several bank robberies in Edo and Ondo states, and other kidnappings, armed robberies and killings in different locations in Kogi and other contiguous states,” part of the statement read.
The gang was also said to be responsible for the attack and jail break in Medium Security Prison, Minna, Niger State, on 3rd June, 2018 where 219 prisoners serving jail terms for capital offences and other crimes escaped from lawful custody.
Two Boko Haram members under the control of Umar Abdulmalik in the Medium Security Prison, Minna, Niger State, were rescued by him during the jail break.
Moshood said investigation was being intensified to arrest other members of the Boko Haram cell under the control of Umar Abdulmalik and other suspects connected to the crimes the gang committed.
“All the suspects confessed to the crime and admitted to their various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crimes. They will all be arraigned in court on completion of investigation,” he added.
