Boko-Haram : Orange Seller Arrested With N600m

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1
Division Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major-General
Garba Wahab, at the weekend said the media
should not eulogize criminals as the Division
has arrested a suspected orange seller who
spied for terrorists and over N600 million was
found in his bank account within three
months.
The GOC, whose area of command covers the
north-western states, while fielding questions
from newsmen in Kaduna relating to why the
Army is carrying out general search without
discrimination, said, “When we stop those who
are hawking and carrying wheelbarrow, and we
said we want to check, people will shout, ‘Why
are you disturbing the average person?’ And I
give you example; we arrested somebody here
called mai lemu (orange seller) in Kawo here.
And in three months when we checked
through his account, over 600 million naira has
passed through that man’s account, and he
sells orange here by Kawo bridge.
“He is there as a lookout. He is like a spy. He
looks around, gets information and feeds these
guys, says this is what is happening. That is
why I said we are not dealing with idiots. We
are dealing with people who have one or two
guys working and thinking, and giving them
information. And we know that before they
attack they must look at the softest locations.”
Wahab added that it is a criminality that the
media and society must cooperate and ensure
that it is brought to an end.
On Thursday’s attacks in Daura, he explained
that military personnel adhered to the
principles of rules of engagement, saying, “I
called this press conference to fill the gap on
the attack that occurred in Daura, Katsina
state. We don’t want a situation where people
will be speculating. Yes, the criminals came,
they bombed vehicles, and they packed money
using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to
bomb everywhere. Nobody will give an
instruction for an innocent life to be lost, so in
whatever we do, we keep to the rules of
engagement given to us and that is why I have
called the media to lend us their support
because when a few reports go out, it’s like it is
encouraging the criminals and they start to
think they have the upper hand.”
Meanwhile, the presidency yesterday offered
amnesty to any Boko Haram member who
surrenders, as it wages war on the insurgents
in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, where state of
emergency was declared last Tuesday.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Dr. Rueben Abati, revealed this
yesterday while talking to Reuters, a foreign
news agency, on telephone.
He said: “Mr President has urged Boko Haram
members to surrender their arms and embrace
the amnesty option which is still open as the
committee is working on the option of dialogue
for a peaceful resolution.”