Following the failed suicide bombing attempt on a military facility by a female terrorist who blew herself up in Gombe recently, the Nigerian army said it has arrested three suspected female terrorists who have been secretly recruiting ladies into the female wing of the terrorists group.

The suspects, Hafsat Usman Bako, Zainab Idris and Aisha Abubakar were arrested while travelling to Madagali.

A statement by the director of defence information, Chris Olukolade, a major general, signed by Onyema Nwachukwu, a colonel, said investigations revealed that the suspects, led by Bako, had been mandated to recruit members into the female wing as well as act as spies for the group.

In carrying out this mandate, the suspects lure unsuspecting ladies, mainly widows and young girls by enticing them with male suitors who are mainly members of their terror group for marriage.

Hafsat’s link with the terrorists group had earlier been a subject of investigation in 2012, when security agents on a man-hunt for one Usman Bako, her husband who was identified as a terrorist, stormed their residence in Jimeta, Adamawa State, and recovered an AK 47 rifle and two loaded magazines.

Although Usman later died in an encounter with troops in Sokoto where he had relocated to continue his terrorist activities, Hafsat continued with the terror group specializing in secretive recruitment of members into their fold.

The army said the arrest of the trio suspects has yielded information still being verified by security agencies.