Nigeria schoolgirls: police say first arrest made over kidnapped students

Businessman Babuji Ya'ari is said to have 'participated actively' in the mass abduction of 200 schoolgirls in April


Nigerian police have now banned protests calling for the authorities to do more to return the missing schoolgirls Photo: Gbenga

Nigeria's military says it has broken up a Boko Haram intelligence cell and arrested its leader, alleged to have taken part in the abduction of over 200 teenage girls in April.

A defence headquarters statement said that troops have found a militants' "intelligence cell" headed by a businessman "who participated actively in the abduction of school girls in Chibok," in northeast Borno state on April 14.

Of the 276 girls abducted, 57 have been found while 219 are still missing.

The businessman identified as Babuji Ya'ari, who was also a member of a civilian youth group that worked along with the military, popularly known as Civilian JTF (Joint Task Force), allegedly used his position as a cover to work for the militants, it said.

"The arrest of the businessman who is known to deal in tricycles has also yielded some vital information and facilitated the arrest of other members of the terrorists' intelligence cell who are women," the military said.