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| Nigeria police held over deaths | Nigeria police held over deaths |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Seventeen Nigerian police officers have been arrested over the alleged extra-judicial killing of members of the Boko Haram religious sect in 2009. | Seventeen Nigerian police officers have been arrested over the alleged extra-judicial killing of members of the Boko Haram religious sect in 2009. |
| Police spokesman Yemi Ajyai said the arrests had been carried out by members of the police Special Forces Squad. | Police spokesman Yemi Ajyai said the arrests had been carried out by members of the police Special Forces Squad. |
| Al-Jazeera TV last month showed footage of alleged police killings. | Al-Jazeera TV last month showed footage of alleged police killings. |
| Boko Haram attacked a police station in the northern city of Maiduguri, leading to days of clashes and hundreds of deaths - mostly sect members. | Boko Haram attacked a police station in the northern city of Maiduguri, leading to days of clashes and hundreds of deaths - mostly sect members. |
| Mr Ajyai said the al-Jazeera broadcast had led to the arrests and those detained had been taken to Abuja for questioning, reports the AP news agency. | Mr Ajyai said the al-Jazeera broadcast had led to the arrests and those detained had been taken to Abuja for questioning, reports the AP news agency. |
| No surprise at Nigeria killing In pictures: Clashes aftermath Nigeria's 'Taliban' enigma | No surprise at Nigeria killing In pictures: Clashes aftermath Nigeria's 'Taliban' enigma |
| The AFP news agency quoted a police source as saying the the arrests were carried out on the orders of the acting President Goodluck Jonathan. | |
| The footage apparently shows police officers telling a group of young men to lie face down and then shooting them at close range. | The footage apparently shows police officers telling a group of young men to lie face down and then shooting them at close range. |
| The BBC's Jimeh Saleh in Abuja says the police are often accused of extra-judicial killings but they always deny it and arrests are rare. | The BBC's Jimeh Saleh in Abuja says the police are often accused of extra-judicial killings but they always deny it and arrests are rare. |
| Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf died in custody after being alive when the army handed him to the police, army officers said. | Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf died in custody after being alive when the army handed him to the police, army officers said. |
| A few hours later, journalists were shown his bullet-ridden body. | A few hours later, journalists were shown his bullet-ridden body. |
| The police said he had been fatally wounded while trying to evade capture. | The police said he had been fatally wounded while trying to evade capture. |