Home

Police smash Nigerian 'al Qaeda'

From: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/11/12/nigeria.alqaeda.ap/index.html

Nov 12, 2007

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) -- Nigerian security agents arrested several men who allegedly had materials for making explosives, and evidence has linked them to the al Qaeda terror network, a senior security official said Monday.

The suspects, all Nigerians, were arrested in the states of Kano, Kaduna and Yobe, located in the country's predominantly Muslim north, said Ado Muazu, spokesman for Nigeria's special state security police.

"Investigations show they have links to the al Qaeda network," Muazu said, without elaborating or saying exactly how many suspects were detained.

Many of those arrested in the current security operation are connected to a Nigerian Taliban group -- formed around students in northeastern Yobe and Borno states -- which came into prominence in 2004 after they engaged the security forces in battles, Muazu said.

The group was on the verge of carrying out attacks when they arrested, Muazu said, showing reporters a photograph with four bags of fertilizer, seven sticks dynamite, a combat rifle and detonators allegedly seized from the group