Nigeria: Army raids suspected Islamist hideout, kills four

By Areeb Hasni Jun 16th, 2012 ( 6 Comments )

Kano: At least four suspected Islamist militants, belonging to Boko Haram, were killed during a dawn raid conducted by Nigerian troops on one of the group’s presumed hideouts in the northern city of Kano, media reported on Friday.

According to reports, in a statement issued by the Nigerian army, it claimed that Boko Haram used the building to produce propaganda material, including fliers that had been distributed around Kano as well as video messages posted on YouTube, the army statement added.

“During the encounter, four members of the terrorist elements were killed,” army spokesman Lieutenant Ikedichi Iweha said of the raid in Kano’s Unguwa Uku district.

Items recovered included improvised explosive devices, a pistol, ammunition, lap tops, scanners, a printer and four police identity cards, presumably stolen after previous attacks on the city’s police, the army said.

“Uniforms of security agencies being used by the terrorist gangs were also recovered,” Iweha said in the statement. Boko Haram gunmen have in the past dressed up as security agents to gain access to guarded sites.

The radical group has also been blamed for a series of gun and bomb attacks on police posts in Kano.

The Friday raid was carried out based on tips provided by city residents, the army said.