The Nigerian Army on Tuesday announced that its troops have arrested four men suspected to be used by Boko Haram insurgents to spy and carry out surveillance on locations they plan to attack.

The arrested men include a man who has reportedly confessed to carrying out surveillance on the Catholic church in Madalla, Suleja, Niger State before it was attacked on December 25, 2011.

The four suspects, Victor Moses, Abubakar Shettima, Salisu Mohammed Bello and Umar Sadiq Madaki, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the director, Army Public Relations, Sani Usman Kukasheka, a Colonel, were arrested by soldiers from the headquarters of 33 Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army Bauchi.

According the statement, Moses had gone to a mosque in Bauchi and pretending that he wanted to convert to Islam but he raised some suspicion among the people, who promptly handed him over to security agents.

“On interrogation he confirmed that he was working for an Islamic cleric in Gombe (now at large) and that their point of contact was Abubakar Shetima based in Jos. He confessed to casing targets for suicide bomb attacks including that of the Catholic Church Madalla, Suleja, Niger State on Christmas day, 25th December 2011.”

The accused persons, who were paraded by the Commander 33 Artillery Brigade, Brigadier General Abraham Dusu at the Brigade’s headquarters in Shadawanka Barracks, Bauchi, are said to be undergoing interrogation.