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Nigeria arrests mercenaries in effort against Islamic Militants
It was the first step in a complete overhaul of the force that was suffering from a “collapse in public confidence,” a presidential statement said.
The police source said on Thursday that suspected members of Boko Haram had reached out to the police for potential dialogue, with the emir of Kano as mediator. The emir is the most important traditional Muslim leader in Kano.
“They said they want the emir to mediate in the dialogue they proposed,” the source said.
The group, which initially said it was fighting for the creation of an Islamic state in deeply impoverished northern Nigeria, launched an uprising in 2009 that was put down by a brutal military assault.
Boko Haram went dormant for more than a year before re-emerging with attacks that have become increasingly sophisticated.
It is now believed to have a number of factions with differing aims, including some with political links and a hard-core Islamist cell.
Copyright 2012 AFP.
