Authorities in the landlocked African nation of Niger have arrested 160 suspected Boko Haram militants allegedly involved in deadly attacks near that country’s border with Nigeria, a national police spokesman said Tuesday.
The arrests happened over the last two days in Niger’s Diffa region, which borders Nigeria. Those taken into custody include Kaka Bunu, who police spokesman Adil Doro said was “involved in the recruitment of (Boko Haram) members.”
Some of the suspects fled south, only to be arrested while on the run or in “their hiding places,” said Yakubu Sumana Gawo, the governor of Niger’s Diffa region.
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These include cross-border raids and attempts to take over a Cameroon military base in Kolofata and another in Achigashia, forcing Cameroonian soldiers to retreat and then for the first time use airstrikes against the insurgents.
And last month, Boko Haram militants kidnapped 80 people in northern Cameroon, Said Abdulkarim, a journalist for the state broadcaster, told CNN.
Journalist Aminu Abubakar reported from Nigeria, and CNN’s Greg Botelho wrote this story from Atlanta. Journalist Ngala Killian Chimton contributed to this report.
