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Nigeria declares 100 Boko Haram suspects wanted

Xinhua, October 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

Nigeria on Wednesday declared 100 suspected Boko Haram members are wanted for carrying out various violent attacks in the restive northeast region of the country.

On the list of wanted Boko Haram suspects was Abubakar Shekau, leader of the terror group, whom the Nigerian army had earlier claimed was killed in a confrontation. Among those declared wanted are teenagers who were suspected to have collaborated in carrying out attacks for the violent group, Nigeria's army chief, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai said.

"Each of the suspects must have either participated or involved in the attacks in the theater of war in the northeast," the army chief said, appealing to the people of Nigeria's northeast region to aid military's efforts by giving credible information that could unearth the hide-out of the suspects.

He said the Nigerian army will make telephone numbers available for the public to give credible information on the whereabouts of the suspects.

Fighting against the government to create an Islamic state, the Boko Haram has carried out waves of bombings, held hundreds of hostages and attacked many communities in the northern region and capital city of Nigeria over the years.

Nigerian troops carried out a successful raid on Tuesday when a total of 338 hostages held by Boko Haram were rescued in enclaves of the rebels near the Sambisa Forest located in the northeastern state of Borno.

The hostages - 192 children, 138 women and eight men - were rescued by troops of 28 Task Force Brigade of the Nigerian Army who carried out a successful raid on suspected Boko Haram camps at Bulajilin and Manawashe villages at the fringes of Sambisa Forest, a statement signed by army spokesman, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, said earlier on Wednesday.

Some 30 Boko Haram fighters were also killed in the raid, the army statement said, adding the gallant troops recovered arms and ammunition from the armed rebels.

The freed hostages have been evacuated to Mubi, a town in the neighboring northeastern state of Adamawa.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered military chiefs to end the insurgency of Boko Haram in the most populous African country by December. Endit