The Nigerian Military has confirmed the arrest of one of the sponsors of the 486 travelers suspected to be members of the extremist Boko Haram group, who were intercepted and arrested by soldiers along Enugu, Port Harcourt Road.

Speaking in a telephone interview with our Correspondent, the Defense Information Director, Major General Chris Olukolade, would not however give details about the arrest of the sponsor.

“This is a very sensitive security matter in which investigation is still on, names are being peddled here and there, so it is not safe to start centering on a particular name, until one is secure with facts.”

He also disclosed that 144 out of 486 Port Harcourt bound travellers earlier suspected to be Boko Haram members have been released after a thorough screening.

The men were arrested recently in Aba, Abia State, along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, while travelling at night in a convoy of 35 buses from Northern Nigeria.

The defence spokesperson, Chris Olukolade, had said that a wanted Boko Haram suspect was identified during the screening of those arrested. He did not name the suspect.

But a security source told our Correspondent that in addition to the lone suspect, 86 of the travellers were identified as suspected terrorists.

Earlier, the Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mike Omeri, had also confirmed on Wednesday that 144 out of the 486 arrested have been released after preliminary examination.

He disclosed this Wednesday at a press briefing on efforts made by the government to secure the release of the more than 200 Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram.

Mr. Omeri said that one of the suspected sponsors of the travellers has been identified by security agents. He, however, declined to state the name of the alleged sponsor.

“144 of the number have been released. It is expected that the media and the general public will be kept abreast of further developments,” said Mr. Omeri.

“Importantly, one of the (suspects) connected with the package of the trip has been named and investigation is painstakingly continuing to unravel the issues involved in the incidence,” he added.

On reports that about 60 women and children were abducted last weekend in Borno State, Mr. Omeri said that there was “nothing on the ground to prove any act of abduction as reported.”

“It is on record that our findings were also corroborated by the position of the Borno State Government as conveyed by Governor Kashim Shettima who said that there are no sufficient facts on the alleged abduction of 60 persons,” Mr. Omeri said.

“We hereby wish to state that based on available facts before us there was no abduction of 60 persons in Borno State,” he added.

Mr. Omeri also assured Nigerians that troops have continued to carry out surveillance around the areas where the abducted Chibok girls are suspected to be held.

In a related development, about 26 persons, comprising of 21 soldiers and five villagers, were allegedly killed on Wednesday night ambush, after members of the Boko Haram overran a military post near Damboa town of Borno State, a survivor and hospital officials said.

The attack took place at a village called Bulabulin-Ngaura, located about 50km away from Maiduguri and 35 km north of Damboa.

A soldier that was able to escape the attack said the gunmen came in over ten trucks and motorcycles armed with heavy weapons like rocket launchers, anti-aircraft and several assault rifles.

The soldier, who said he made it to Maiduguri on foot, lamented that he saw over 16 of his colleagues drop dead, before he gave up and took to his heals after exhausting his ammunition.