The Joint Task Force on security in Yobe State, has killed 30 suspected Boko Haram members, including the terrorists' field commander, Bakaka.

A statement by the JTF's spokesman, Lt. Eli Lazarus, said 10 others members of the group were arrested after a fierce gun battle Sunday in Kandahar and Cemetary areas of Damaturu.

It stated that the JTF was working hard to track down other members of the group.

"Six rifles, 90 rounds of ammunition, several handsets and SIM packs were recovered.

"Other items recovered include knives, bows and arrows, diggers, two tricycles and three cans of IEDs," the statement added.

Last month in Damaturu, the military said it killed 35 suspected Boko Haram members in fierce gun battles.

Some 60 people were also arrested there following a door-to-door sweep in several neighbourhoods.

The arrests came after JTF soldiers in the northeastern city of Maiduguri arrested an immigration officer, Grema Mohammed, for allegedly being an active member of the sect, a military spokesperson had said.

Also, the police in Minna, Niger State, Sunday night uncovered a bomb manufacturing factory suspected to belong to the sect in the Maitunmbi area of the town.

The police team which raided the factory at 8.30pm said they acted on the confessional statement made by one of the five suspects arrested in respect of the killing of three policemen in two operations in the town last week.

The raid which lasted for about two hours led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police recovered from the building two 1.5 gms gas cylinder cans already prepared for explosion.

Other lethal weapons found in the house included about 30 cans of disposable food beverage stockpiled with explosives.

25 kilograms of fertilizer, batteries, remote control devices and other electrical gadgets.

After two hours of raid, no arrest was made at the time of the raid as none of the members were found at the building,.
allAfrica