The Department of State Services has apprehended and paraded seven suspected members of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, who allegedly murdered an Islamic cleric in Zaria, Kaduna State on February 1, 2014.

Parading the suspects in Abuja, the Deputy Director, Public Relations of the service, Ms Marilyn Ogar, said that the suspects confessed to the crime and would soon be charged to court.

The seven persons paraded were Yakub Abdullahi, who is the Kaduna-Niger States sub-regional commander of the sect, Ibrahim Shuaibu, Bilyaminu Usman, 22 and Sahabi Ismail, 27.

Others are Umar Farouk, Yasir Salihu, 35, a graduate of English Literature from Bayero University, Kano, and Musa Abubakar, 54, who hid the suspects in his house after the murder of the Islamic cleric.

The Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, had released a video claiming responsibility for the murder.

She said the suspects killed the cleric because of his pro-western posture and anti-Boko Haram preaching.

“Investigation and confessions by the suspects revealed that his pro-western posture and preaching are contrary to the Boko Haram ideology.

“It was that hatred that culminated in a meeting by members of the sect under the leadership of Yakub Abdullahi at Hayin Danmani in Rigasa area of Kaduna.

“This is where Abdullahi declared that the Shura Council – the highest decision making body of Boko Haram – ordered the killing of Albani’’, she said.

Ms. Ogar said that there was an earlier attempt on the cleric on January 24.

“He was subsequently placed on surveillance. On February 1, 2014, he was tracked down by members of the Boko Haram sect at Markaz Salafiya Centre.

“They waited for him till the end of the programme (preaching), trailed him and eventually murdered him, his wife and son’’, she said.

Ms. Ogar also said that two AK 47 rifles were used in killing the cleric.

They had confessed that the guns were brought from Katsina.

She said the third accused, Bilyaminu Usman, fired 30 rounds at the victims.

“Usman handled one of the AK 47 rifles with which he fired several shots at Albani, his wife and son.

“He confessed to have exhausted his magazine of 30 rounds of ammunition on his victims,” she said

Messrs Usman, Abdullahi, and Salihu, told journalists that they killed Mr Albani, his wife and son.

“It is important to state that all Nigerians must join hands with security agencies to fight the scourge of terrorism as it has no defined boundaries of religion, tribe or political consideration’’, Ms Ogar said.

She also stated that investigations were still ongoing to unveil other members of the sect operating in the Kaduna-Niger States axis.