E x c l u s i v e : SSS detains 16 CAR returnees

The State Security Service (SSS) has detained 16 young Nigerians on arrival in the country from crisis ridden Central African Republic on suspicion they have links with Boko Haram insurgents.They were among about 1,350 Nigerians that were evacuated from CAR over a week ago following worsening sectarian violence that has killed hundreds of people in […]

The State Security Service (SSS) has detained 16 young Nigerians on arrival in the country from crisis ridden Central African Republic on suspicion they have links with Boko Haram insurgents.
They were among about 1,350 Nigerians that were evacuated from CAR over a week ago following worsening sectarian violence that has killed hundreds of people in the past two months.
The SSS picked up the suspects as they disembarked from the aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Aiport, Abuja.
Reliable sources said those arrested are between the ages of 18 and 27 and all of them are from Borno State.
They were seperated from the others and later moved to SSS headquarters in Asokoro.
One source said the suspects are being questioned at theinvestigation unit of the Service but added that the methods used could be life-threatening.
“The way they are going about it, I don’t think these young men could be useful to themselves if they are through with them,” the source said.
Some relations of the suspected who spoke to our reporter at their camp in Maiduguri confirmed that the young men were arrested at the airport in Abuja.
‘We didn’t know their intention when they asked them to move to one side. Later they took them away and we have not heard anything from them since then.
“However, later we learnt that they are treating them as Boko Haram suspects and they are being tortured to confess they belong to the sect. If it is true it is very unfortunate because these are innocent souls who have not been to Nigerian for a long time,” he said.
Another source at the camp said his relation was detained along with his wife. I don’t know their offence and I fear for their lives,” he added.
When contacted for comment on the story, spokesperson for the SSS, Marilyn Ogar simply responded via a text message thus: “It is not true pls.”
It was estimated that there were about 4,000 Nigerians in that country, many of who were engaged in gold and diamond mining.