Boko Haram 'spiritual leader' arrested in Nigeria

A man identified as the "spiritual leader" of Boko Haram in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kano has been arrested, together with other insurgents plotting to carry out attacks in the country, security authorities said Monday.

The man, whose name was given as Mudasiru Jibrin, was arrested on July 17 at a Boko Haram detention center uncovered by the secret police operatives in Kano.

Preliminary investigation had proved that Jibrin hatched the plan of shooting some high school students near Potiskum city of Nigeria's northeastern state of Yobe three years ago, the national Department of Security Services said in a statement.

Prior to the Boko Haram leader's arrest, the secret police had on July 8 arrested a notorious Boko Haram fighter and three of his accomplices while perfecting arrangements for major coordinated attacks on selected locations in the northwestern Kaduna state, the statement added.

Boko Haram has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and displacing of more than 2.6 million people in Nigeria since 2009. 

Source : XINHUA