7 suspected Nigerian militants are arrested

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's Department of State services says it has arrested seven suspected Islamic militants in connection with the killing of a pro-Western sheik who preached against Islamic extremism, his wife and their son.

The three, including Sheik Adam Albani, were shot dead on Feb. 1 in Kaduna state in northern Nigeria as they drove home from Albani's theology lecture.

Officials say he was killed because his "pro-Western posture and his preaching are contrary to the Boko Haram ideology." Boko Haram is an Islamic militia in Nigeria that has killed thousands of people in an insurgency that began more than four years ago. Officials said Monday the suspects are Boko Haram members from five different Nigerian states.

Boko Haram means "Western education is a sin," and Albani was known for encouraging his followers to seek Western education.