Ansaru terrorists trained in Libya arrested in Kaduna

The IGP Intelligence Response Team busted nine suspected members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan (aka Ansaru). And the terrorists, mostly young men in Kaduna, are confessing now.

According to them, the allure of a better life, with a barrel of beer and beef, got them to join Ansaru, a band of up-and-coming terror group specialized in kidnap and ransom in Kaduna.

The group was responsible for a raft of kidnaps in that axis, including that of the the Magajin Garin Daura in Katsina State, the attack on Mothercat Construction Company, and  kidnapping of two expatriates, a Jordanian and Syrian working with Triacta Nigeria Limited at Shiroro, Niger State on December 9, 2019.

They collected a ransom of N120m before releasing the expats, and each of the terrorists got between N200, 000 and N300, 000 each, the IRT stated Friday.

Two of them, Mustapha and Saidu, were drafted  into the terror group by their father. The brothers were trained in weapon handling and driving in Libya for six months before coming back to Nigeria in 2015.

“When I was converted, they told us we were fighting against the Nigerian government. They made us believe that when we took over Nigeria, our families would become millionaires and own houses in Abuja. I was placed on N100, 000 monthly allowance,” said Mustapha who got disabled during the training.

“I was driving our operational jeep when I unknowingly fell into a ditch.”

So they sent him back to Nigeria—to learn sewing and handle the group’s logistics.

Similar stories go for Shuaibu, 29, a member of the Izala Muslim Movement. He was recruited in his mosque.

Others are Aminu (23), Saidu Aminu (26), Aminu Shuaibu (33), Yusuf Abubakar (24), all from Kaduna State.

Some others are of age, including Ishak Khalid (30), Awal Tela (34), and Abubakar Mustafa (32) from Plateau State. Others like Abubakar Muhammad (25) comes from Kano State, and Shuaibu Ahmadu (25) from Katsina State.

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The police team said the suspects had confessed to the crimes while 204 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition, military uniforms, vehicles, drugs, foodstuffs, and charms were recovered from them.

The investigation continues.