We were recruited in Mosques, trained in Libya – Suspected terrorists confess

Nine members of the high profile terrorist group, Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena fii Bilaa dis Sudan, responsible for the kidnap of expatriates and influential personalities in northern Nigeria, have revealed how they were recruited from mosques and trained in Libya.

The suspects arrested by the Inspector–General of Police, Intellignece Response Team (IRT), led by DCP Abba Kyari, were reportedly fished out of their hideouts in Kaduna, Kano and Katsina States.

A top source in IRT disclosed that the daredevil gunmen were hunted down in a decoy operation spearheaded by Kyari. According to the suspects, the terrorist group, whose membership spreads across the northern states and many African countries, presents itself as an Islamic group fighting a just cause, but after accepting membership, recruits are presented with the sad reality of being members of a criminal gang.

A top police source at Louis Edet House, who was part of the team that intercepted the suspects, said the gang’ operation base is at Birnin Gwari Bush.

The source revealed that the gang was responsible for the kidnap of two expatriates, Zaid Alas from Jordan and Isah Jabour a Syrian, both working with Traicta Ltd, Shiroro, Niger State, in December 2019, and only released their captive after collected N120m ransom.

The terrorist gang led Dogo Gide and Mahmud, both on the run, were also responsible for the kidnap for ransom of some employees of Mothercat Construction Company, as well as Magajin Garin Daura in Katsina State.

The arrested suspects were: Aminu Mustapha (alias China), 23; Aminu Saidu (alias Dawud), 26; Aminu Shuaibu (alias Abu Mus’an), 33; Ishak Khalid (alias Uztaz), 30; Yusuf Abubakar (alias AY), 24; Awal Umar Tela, 34; Abubakar Isah Muhammad (alias Khalifa Abu Aisara), 25; Shuaibu Ahmadu, 25 and Abubakar Mustafa (alias Osama), 32