On November 18, Azeez Maruff, a famous transporter in Oyo State, was feeding his livestock when he noticed suspicious movements by men in army uniform around his residence.

For safety concerns, Maruff approached them, asking if he could be of any assistance, but the armed men grabbed him, saying he was under arrest.

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“He only had a towel wrapped around his waist when the military men grabbed him. He had to plead with the soldiers so they could allow him change,” a relative of Maruff, who sought anonymity, told FIJ. “After changing his clothes, he asked to see a warrant of his arrest. In the process, they tied his hands and blindfolded him before shoving him into a golf car.”

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FIJ gathered that a group of armed soldiers suddenly jumped down from an Operation Burst vehicle to whisk Maruff away. The officers told his relatives that they were taking him to Operation Burst’s office in Oyo town.

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MAJOR MOSES IDRIS LED THE OPERATION

Later at night on the same day, the officers came back with Maruf around 10:45 pm to pick his smartphone. They returned him to their custody, telling his relatives to come for him.

“One Major Moses Idris was the officer that led the operation,” an eyewitness told FIJ. “What he told us was that Maruff was arrested because they needed him to assist them in getting to the root of an ongoing investigation. The Major left with a promise that Maruff would be released on the night of November 20.”

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FROM OYO TO ABUJA

FIJ understands that Maruff was first moved to Odogbo Barracks in Ibadan before he was transported to the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) office in Abuja.

“What we are also hearing is that the Nigerian army is accusing him of receiving funds from Sunday Igboho to cause disruption all over southwestern Nigeria,” another family source said. “They are also accusing him of being the mastermind behind a prison break in Abolongo Correctional Centre on October 22 in Oyo town.”

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When FIJ contacted Ojolowo Afolashade, DIA spokesperson, he said he had no information on the arrest.