Boko Haram member killed in Kaduna shootout

 BY GODWIN ISENYO, KADUNA

A suspected member of the Islamist insurgent, Boko Haram, was on Sunday  killed following a shootout with security operatives in the Kinkino area of  Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Security operatives had stormed the residence  of the suspect, where they engaged him in a gun battle as he attempted to escape arrest.

Residents of the area, who spoke to our correspondent, said the security operatives comprising plain cloth personnel and soldiers, arrived in the area popularly known as line Sariki, around 2am.

The commander of the team ordered  the entire occupants of the area to come out for identification.

Sensing danger, it was learnt that the suspects, who were said to be two in number, opened fire on the security personnel, who responded.

The gun exchange was said to have lasted for a few hours, causing panic among the residents of the area.

A source, who will not want his name in print,  said security personnel acted on an information that a building in the are housed a top Boko Haram member, who fled Maiduguri to settle in Kaduna.

It was also gathered that the team of security operatives that stormed the area had been on the trail of the suspected Boko Haram member and were provided with support by troops on the ground.

“But unknown to them that security men have surrounded the house, he tried to escape but was shot,” a source said.

As of the time of filing this report, the police had yet to officially confirm the shootout and the killing of the terror suspect.

A resident of the area, Mohammed Bawa, expressed shock over the killing of the sect member in the area.

Bawa stated that the residents later confirmed that a Boko Haram member was killed while another was arrested and whisked to an unknown destination.