Boko Haram: Shekau’s deputy, Albarnawi arrested in Lokoja

A suspected second in command to Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, Khalid Albarnawi, has been arrested.

Albarnawi, leader of the Ansaru Islamic Sect, a breakway faction of Boko Haram, was reportedly arrested in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital on Friday.

This was confirmed on Saturday by the Acting Director Defence information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar.

According to Abubakar, Albanarwi was second in command to Abubakar Shekau in the hierarchy of the dreaded Boko Haram Sect, adding that he was arrested due to effective collaborative efforts among the various security agencies in the country.

He said: “I can confirm that he (Albarnawi) is in custody. It is a product of the existing synergy among the security agencies which led to this breakthrough in the war on terror.

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“Nigerians should assist the security agencies with relevant information and intelligence, I can say that the days of Boko Haram are numbered.

“We have just confirmed that he has been nabbed and he is with the relevant agencies and as time goes, people would know how this kind of person was nabbed and it is due to the synergy existing among the security agencies.

“He has been arrested and he is with the relevant agencies and he is cooperating with giving information.

“He is the second-in-command as far as the Boko Haram hierarchy is concerned. So their days are numbered by the grace of God.”

However, an online medium quoted Ahmad Salkida, a journalist, known for his access to some of the leaders of the Boko Haram, as saying that Albarnawi was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS in Lokoja and moved to Abuja on Friday.

Albarnawi, reportedly trained in the North African country of Algeria, is said to be highly influential in the nation’s terror network.

He formed Ansaru as a splinter group of the Boko Haram in January 26, 2012 and it claimed responsibility for the November 2012 attack on the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Headquarters, Abuja, where several top commanders of the Boko Haram were released.

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