The Nigerian Army said on Thursday that it had arrested two business center operators in Maiduguri who allegedly produced fake National Identity Cards for Boko Haram terrorists in the city.
Col. Tukur Gusau, the spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, made the disclosure while presenting the suspects to newsmen in Maiduguri.
“A business center around Post Office area in Maiduguri was identified as an accomplice of Boko Haram terrorists by producing National Identity cards and other documents for the terrorists,” Gusau said.
He said that this was in furtherance to the combined efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security organisations to counter terrorism and insurgency in the North-East.
Gusau said that the two operators of the centre, Mr Makinta Umar, and John Zakariya, were arrested after a suspected Boko Haram member confessed that the suspects were producing the ID cards for members of the terrorists group.
“The operators of the center were apprehended after a Boko Haram suspect earlier arrested, confessed to the Joint Investigation Center that the suspects were in the business of producing the ID cards for the terrorists group.
“Among the items recovered from the suspects were; computer laptops, memory sticks, still camera etc,” he said.
“It was discovered that the accomplices produce fake National ID cards and other documents for the terrorists in the business centre.
“These documents enable the terrorists to move freely to various destinations and carry out their terrorists activities killing and inflicting hardships on the law abiding citizens of the country,” Gusau added.