Tension heightened in Enugu State yesterday following the arrest of about 25 suspected members of Boko Haram by a team of policemen on patrol in Nsukka Area of state.
The suspects were reportedly being conveyed into the state by a young driver and an aged conductor in a Toyota Bus with Zamfara State plate number.
It was gathered that the suspects who were coming from Zamfara State were arrested? at Okpuje, a border town between Enugu and Kogi State with dane guns? concealed in bags? of fertilizer.
The source said the police patrol team intercepted the vehicle during their routine stop and search exercise.
“We were on our normal stop and search check when we inspected the vehicle, and we asked them where they were coming from.
“They said they were Zamfara indigenes coming to do business in Enugu state.
“At that stage we demanded that they open their luggage and when they did, we discovered that arms and ammunitions were concealed in most of the bags.
“We are still wondering how they were able to beat all the security posts all the way from Zamfara to this place” one of the policemen who does not want his name mentioned in print said.
On arrival to the police station, more arms were recovered from the bags, which the suspects claimed contained foodstuff.
A little drama , however occurred? at the Nsukka police Division where the suspects were? taken to when the Divisional police officer { DPO} told reporters? that “you are just coming here now and you are already insinuating that they are Boko Haram members; they are hunters and not members of Boko Haram”.
Apart from refusing to allow journalist to see the suspects and take record of arms recovered from them, policemen at the station ordered the anxious journalists to leave the station.
Speaking with Leadership, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Enugu State Police Command, Ebere Amaraizu said the suspects claimed that they were in the state for“ hunting expedition”.