The Department of State
Services has arrested 45 suspected Boko Haram members in connection with a
foiled attack on Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of
Lagos in September.
The DSS also charged the
suspects to a Lagos State Magistrate’s Court sitting in Isolo on Friday and the
court ordered the remand of the 45 suspects in Kirikiri prisons in the state.
The DSS, which obtained the
remand order on the suspects, told the court that they were arrested in
connection with a foiled attack on Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi in Eti-Osa Local
Government Area of Lagos in September.
The DSS said the suspects were
arrested following intelligence report on their alleged plan to attack the
estate, which is in a high brow area in the state.
The security operatives told
the court that the suspects had volunteered confessional statements, adding
that arms were recovered from them.
The DSS urged the court to
remand the suspects in prison pending further investigations.
The magistrate, who asked that
his name should not be disclosed for security reasons, granted the prayers that
the suspects be remanded in prison.
According to the charge filed
before the court, the names of the suspects include Abuyi Sheriff, Babagana
Ali, Abass Ibrahim, Abubaka Grema, Kabiri Ibrahim, Mustaph Mohammed, Usman
Mohammed, Modu Amsami, Isa Agafi, Adamu Jebili and Saja Kamba.
Also among them were: Abba
Sagoma, Mallam Buchu, Abdul-Kareem Abba, Babagana Koloye, Usman Buka, Adamu
Mohammed, Lawal Mohammed, Tela Abana, Mustapha Mohammed, Isa Agafi, Belo Modu,
Kachala Babagana, Modu Abu and Alhaji Modu Mustapha.
An affidavit presented in court
disclosed how a team of the DSS cordoned off the area, intercepted the suspects
and carried out the arrests.
However, the DSS could not be
reached as it had yet to announce a new spokesperson.
Recently, the DSS disclosed
that it had arrested some suspected terrorists in various places in and around
Lagos including Kara, Isheri Berger area; Gowon Estate, Egbeda, Alimosho area;
Ijora Badia, Apapa area; and Ebute-Meta in Lagos Mainland Local Government
Area.
Earlier in the year, two
suspected members of Boko Haram were also arrested in the metropolis.
The suspects were apprehended
during an operation carried out by men and officers of the Operation Mesa, a
joint security outfit comprising members of the armed forces and those of the
DSS
The raid had taken place at the
Ijora 7-Up area of Lagos, after a tip-off on the activities of a terror network
coordinated by Iranians in the city.
The suspects, a Chadian,
identified as Aminu, and a Northerner, whose identity could not be ascertained,
were arrested after soldiers ransacked a building in the area.
Aminu was said to have
concealed some devices suspected to be explosives in boxes, which were stacked
in the ceiling of the house. Also recovered alongside the suspected explosives
were two AK47 rifles.
The National Security Adviser
had also recently issued a security alert on the likelihood of Boko Haram
attacking Lagos seaports following concerns expressed by the United States
Embassy on the level of insecurity at the country’s seaports.
The Assistant Comptroller
General of Customs in charge of Enforcement and Intelligence, Mr. Dan Ugo, had
on behalf of the Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.), signed the
alert.
Following the security alert,
it was learned that the Nigeria Customs Service had begun the restriction of
persons into its various commands and formations in Lagos.
The development had also
brought about an increase in the level of security checks at all access points
into the ports.
The leadership of the Port
Facility Security Officer Forum had also warned its members to increase
surveillance on their facilities and reduce the number of people into their
premises.
Thousands of lives had been
lost to series of attacks by the dreaded terrorist group, especially in the
North Eastern part of the country.
The group, which had pledged
allegiance to ISIS also claimed several lives in multiple explosions on Friday.
Source: Punch Newspaper
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