Nigeria arrests two Boko Haram members planning to infiltrate army

ABUJA, Nigeria, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Nigeria's Department of State Services said it arrested two Boko Haram members attempting to infiltrate the Nigerian army.

The two men were identified as Ibrahim Abubakar and Idris Audu, high-level members of the militant organization violently attempting to establish a Muslim caliphate in Nigeria. Their arrests came Sunday in Kano.

"In response to the regrouping of Boko Haram elements in Kano State, the Service in concert with the military, carried out coordinated operations in the state which led to the apprehension of two high profile members of the sect..."Audu is an [improvised explosives devices] specialist who was being groomed to penetrate security agencies in the country. Audu had already perfected plans to seek for recruitment into the next recruitment scheme of the Nigeria army, before his arrest," DSS spokesman Tony Opuiyo said.

He added another prominent Boko Haram leader considered a kidnapping expert, Samuel Asuquo, was arrested Aug. 22. The DSS said Asuquo was responsible for the kidnapping of three Australians employed by a cement company in Nigeria, for whom a $473,000 ransom was paid.