The State Security Service, SSS, has announced the arrest of a Nigerian citizen working as a recruiter for the Islamic State, ISIS.

Abdussalam Enesi Yunusa, according to a statement by the Service’s spokesman, Tony Opuiyo, was arrested in Kano on January 17 following intelligence reports that revealed his plans to recruit young Nigerians for the Islamist sect.

Yunusa, a 400 level student of Information ion and Media Technology at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, was said to have made arrangements to travel to Libya to join an ISIS training camp.

According to the Service, he planned to travel with three of his converts, Muhammed Rabi’u, Yahaya Momoh Jimoh and Zainab Sunday, a female.

“He (Yunusa) was radicalized and became a member of an extremist cell, comprising of one Ibrahim and Abubakar Ligali, whom he revealed are currently undergoing terrorist training in Libya. He listed one Aminu and Ibrahim Jihadi (Nigeriene), as other ISIS agents operating in Nigeria and the West African sub-region. The cell was being funded by one Abu-sa’ad Al Sudani, a media expert with the extremist group using Western Union money transfers to fund the terrorist cell agenda,” the statement read.

Also, the Service said on the same day it smashed a cell affiliated to ISIS in Daura, Katsina State and arrested seven of its members. The suspects, who were said to be coordinating attacks in Katsina and Kano States, belonged to Ansaru, a proscribed terrorist organisation.

Another group of four persons with their families, including children, were arrested on January 22 in Kano while travelling to Libya apparently to join ISIS.

According to the Service, the group’s activities were monitored, eventually leading to the arrests.

A 17-year-old student, Mohammed Aliyu Ndako, was arrested on January 29 in Kwara State following intelligence that he was planning with another student in Kano, Abdulkadir Salisu Ahmad, to carry out planned lone-wolf attacks on selected targets, including worship and recreation centres.

Ndakwo was said to have communicated with foreign extremists and sourced online terrorist training and support.