Troops of the Joint Task Force in the North-East under Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a 15-year-old boy linked to a deadly attack in Borno State that led to the death of a senior army officer and other soldiers.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that the suspect identified as Tijjani was picked up on Sunday in Ngamdu while he was reportedly on his way to get food items for members of his group.
Military sources told The Cable that he is connected to the attack on a military base that resulted in the killing of Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, who was in charge of the 29 Task Force Brigade, along with three other soldiers.
The attack happened on Thursday when suspected Boko Haram fighters stormed the base. The army officer and other troops were killed during the incident.
The arrested teenager is believed to have taken part in earlier attacks around Benisheik and Ngamdu. He was also said to have been moving between locations linked to the group’s activities.
The boy had been sent from Jilli with a large sum of money meant for logistics in Ngamdu before he was caught by troops. He said he left other members of the group in Jilli and was not sure what had happened to them after he left.
The military has not released an official statement on the arrest or given further details about ongoing operations in the area.