The Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday confirmed the arrest of the third most wanted terrorism suspect by the United States.
The suspect, who is in the custody of the agency, has been indicted in the killing of expatriates in the country between 2012 and 2013.
Many secret services in various parts of the world have been trooping into Nigeria to interact with the suspect.
Also, the service foiled a terrorist attack on the United States through its active intelligence alert.
The arrest is seen as a significant anti-terrorism breakthrough. United States President Barack Obama telephoned President Muhammadu Buhari to hail the feat, a source told The Nation.
A security source said the arrest had made other security services in various parts of the world to fly into the country to interact with the suspected terrorist.
The suspect is unnamed because he is still “undergoing profiling”.
The source said: “He is still in our custody.
“This suspect was responsible for the killing of some expatriates in the country between 2012 and 2013.
The source also confirmed how DSS intercepted a plot to carry out a deadly terrorist attack on the United States.
The source said: “About six months ago, we burst a terrorist attack that was to happen in the United States. This earned the service a letter of commendation.
“In fact, President Barack Obama placed a call to President Muhammadu Buhari to acknowledge what we did.
“We did not make it a media issue because before you know it, there will be editorials asking us whether we had addressed security challenges in Nigeria before helping the US.
“But the speed with which things are changing and expanding around us, I can tell you that security challenge is becoming more globalised.
“We have been taken into confidence as a nation better than what it was before.”
The United States government had offered $340million (£217m) for about 10 most wanted terrorists, including the leader of Boko Haram, Imam Abubakar Shekau.
Shekau attracts a bounty price from US officials of $7million (£4.4m).
Shekau was reportedly killed about two years ago by Nigerian military but his death was riddled with controversy. He even reappeared in a video to denounce his purported killing by troops.
His fate remains unclear.
Some other wanted terrorists and ransome placed on them include Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, $10million (£6.3m) ; Abu al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, $7million (£4.4m); Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, $5m (£3.2m); Georgian native Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili – also known as Omar the Chechen – $5m (£3.2m)
At number seven is the head of Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram, Abubakar ); and Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, $10million (£6.3m) bounty.
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