A high-profile Boko Haram commander has been arrested in his hideout, army spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu said on Thursday.

Mr Nwachukwu, a brigadier general, in a statement in Abuja said troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) apprehended the wanted terrorist, Yawi Modu, in recent raid operations in parts of the North-East.

Specifically, Mr Modu was arrested along Damboa-Wajiroko road, Mr Nwachukwu disclosed.

In a related development, the army spokesman said troops also raided the terrorists’ Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) materials hub in Damboa and Gashua Local Government Areas of Borno and Yobe States, respectively, during their operations.

According to him, troops also successfully busted a Urea fertiliser syndicate known for supplying terrorists with IED materials in a market believed to be the notorious hub for IED materials for BHT/ISWAP.

“These ISWAP criminals facing the reality of obvious depletion are desperately acquiring IED materials to make explosive devices with which to unleash terror on innocent civilians, in a bid to remain relevant and present a posture of potency.

“In the sting operation conducted, a total of 281 (50Kg) bags of Urea were recovered from the warehouses in the market and two notorious distributors were also arrested.

“Recall that Urea fertiliser has been banned by the Government because of its use as a major component for manufacturing IED by terrorists.

“The suspects and materials recovered are currently undergoing preliminary investigation,” he said.

Mr Nwachukwu said that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Faruk Yahaya, had commended the troops for their vigilance and resilience and reassured them of his support to decisively deal with the terrorists.

(NAN)