Nigerian army captures Boko Haram's 'chief cameraman'

LAGOS, Nigeria

Nigeria’s army says it has detained a wanted man believed to be the chief cameraman for the country’s Boko Haram insurgent group.

The military on Saturday said the man -- identified as Abdullahi Abubakar Sadiq -- along with at least four others, had been arrested in Uba town, northeastern Borno state.

Sadiq was 58 on a military list of 100 Boko Haram targets, said army spokesman Sani Usman.

"Troops also arrested two other suspected Boko Haram terrorists along with two other terrorists at Rumirgo and Kilakasa," he added.

The Nigerian army is hunting 100 people wanted for being the major force behind the insurgency that plagues the region.

Abubakar Shekau, who is the main leader of Boko Haram group, tops the list of wanted persons. A number of these 100 suspects have been captured since the list was released a few months ago.

Boko Haram has emerged as a serious threat in Nigeria. More than 1,700 people have been killed since President Muhammadu Buhari took office on May 29, according to the Nigerian government.

Since then, more than 100 have died in suicide bombings in Borno and Yobe states.

In recent years, Borno state has been at the epicenter of a deadly insurgency by the Boko Haram militant group, which is known for carrying out frequent attacks on civilian targets.

A large part of Borno state was captured by Boko Haram last year but much of where the militants captured had since been liberated since March.