Nigerian Army arrests Orange Seller With N600m In Kaduna 

As the Nigerian military continues its massive offensive against Boko Haram in three Northern states, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major-General Garba Wahab, said last weekend that the media should avoid taking sides with criminals.

He disclosed that his Division has arrested a suspected orange seller who spied for terrorists. Investigations by the Division showed that the orange seller had over N600 million in his bank account all lodged within three months.

Wahab’s area of command includes all north-western states. He explained why the army was engaging in indiscriminate search of residents in the zone.

“When we stop those who are hawking and carrying wheelbarrow, and we said we want to check, people will shout, ‘Why are you disturbing the average person?’ And I give you example; we arrested somebody here called mai lemu (orange seller) in Kawo here. And in three months when we checked through his account, over 600 million naira has passed through that man’s account, and he sells orange here by Kawo bridge.

“He is there as a lookout. He is like a spy. He looks around, gets information and feeds these guys, says this is what is happening. That is why I said we are not dealing with idiots. We are dealing with people who have one or two guys working and thinking, and giving them information. And we know that before they attack they must look at the softest locations.”

He addressed last week’s attacks in Daura, Katsina state.

“I called this press conference to fill the gap on the attack that occurred in Daura, Katsina state. We don’t want a situation where people will be speculating. Yes, the criminals came, they bombed vehicles, and they packed money using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to bomb everywhere. Nobody will give an instruction for an innocent life to be lost, so in whatever we do, we keep to the rules of engagement given to us and that is why I have called the media to lend us their support because when a few reports go out, it’s like it is encouraging the criminals and they start to think they have the upper hand.”