Boko Haram: Nigerian Army uncovers online platform where insurgents recruit members

The Nigeria Army on Tuesday, said it had uncovered a Facebook account
and other social media platforms allegedly used by a faction of the
Boko Haram sect to recruit new members.

Major Murtala Usman, Artillary Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, who
disclosed this while speaking at the ongoing Nigerian Army Combat
Support Training Week in Maiduguri, said the social media accounts had
2,000 followers.

He said that insurgents from the Albarnawi faction of Boko Haram were
recruiting new members on social media platforms like Facebook,
Whatsapp, SnapChat, Instagram and Youtube.

Usman said the army discovered this while interrogating a "highly
placed Boko Haram commander known as Malu-Mamman Barde'', who was
tracked and apprehended 40km South of Rann area in Kala-Balge Local
Government Area of Borno.

"Barde is among the most wanted Boko Haram suspect that had committed
so many atrocities against humanity.

"Through the suspect's mobile phone, we found several videos
soliciting finance for the group. We also found offensive some other
videos where Barde was seen preaching Jihad and the ideology of the
group.

"Most of Barde's pictures were that of Abu-Mosad Albarnawi and other
Boko Haram fighter posing with Anti-Air craft guns, rockets and Boko
Haram flag,'' NAN quoted him as saying.

Earlier speaking, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai said
that the training was to draw up strategies for various military
operations across the country.

Burutai was represented by the Commander of Training and Doctrine,
Maj.-Gen. Abubakar Salihu.

He added that the training was designed to adopt new strategies to
combat insecurity in the country through brainstorming and reviewing
of operations.