Yemi Adedeji, Abuja
The Department of State Services (DSS) says it has arrested two commanders of the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) in Abuja and a member of the terror group in Bauchi.
The arrests made by the DSS is coming 48 hours after reports that the leaders of ISIS were sneaking fighters from Syria into Nigeria, which had been debunked by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ).
In a statement signed by Tony Opuiyo for the DSS, the arrest made has thwarted the budding cells of ISWA and Boko Haram, as well as their plan to attack several targets across the country.
This, according to him was achieved after it conducted special operations on identified targets.
The DSS Spokesman said that the Service in its determination to rid the country of crime, had singularly or in conjunction with sister security agencies embarked on series of operations aimed at degrading or eliminating the capabilities of unscrupulous elements, including suspected kidnappers, cultists, fraudsters, militia members and terrorists.
Opuiyo said special operations led to the successful arrest of Bashiru Adams and Rufai Sajo, both ISWA commanders, on May 5, 2018 at Kukuntu Village, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
He also stated that on April 28, 2018, at Muda Lawal Market, Bauchi, Bauchi State, it arrested another member of the ISWA, Umar Dogo.
“The suspects were discovered to have concluded plans to not only perpetuate the ideals of the Movement in the area, but to, in collaboration with Boko Haram, carry out heinous violent attacks on innocent persons,” DSS said.
Opuiyo said that following intelligence reports, Adamu Hassab (aka Bale) and Abubakr Abubakar (aka Alhaji /Buba), experts in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) assembly, were arrested.
He also stated that on 12th and 19th April 2018, at Gassol and Ardo LGAs of Taraba State, Mohammed Saleh (Aka Azrak) and Iliyasu Abubakar (aka Ruwa), Boko Haram members and cattle rustlers were respectively apprehended.
Opuiyo revealed that on June 27, 2018 at Karu Village, Abuja, two members of the dreaded Basalube kidnap group, namely Usman (aka Siddi) and Ibrahim Muhammed (aka Ganaja) were apprehended.
He noted that the duo had been involved in several kidnap activities, notably those of Sen. Ayodele Arise on December 5, 2017 in Kogi State and the late Portuguese national, Mr. Emmanuel Machada, earlier on October 24, 2017 during which two Policemen were killed in the same Kogi State.
Opuiyo said the DSS on March 27, 2018, at Calabar town, Cross River State, nabbed five members of a kidnap syndicate namely: Simeon Paul, Emmanuel Anna Etim, Eric John Out, Famous Eket Oleke and Felix Bassey Eshet.
He said that in order to flush out the Basalube kidnap gang, the Service further carried out an operation in which one of the group’s notorious members, Tambaya Umar, was arrested on April 24, 2018 at Odigie Village, Ovia North-East LGA, Edo State. He noted that Umar was arrested alongside Ibrahim Ali, Abubakar Mohammed, Aliyu Manu and Umar Mohammed for their complicity in the group’s numerous criminal acts.
