Counter-terrorism operations: DSS arrest 23

The Department of State Services (DSS) said it had arrested 23 suspects between July and August in furtherance to its ongoing tactical and counter-terrorism operations to degrade capabilities of criminal gangs/syndicates nationwide.

This is contained in a statement signed by one of its Operatives, Tony Opuiyo, on Monday in Abuja.

Giving the breakdown, Opuiyo said that the service arrested one Mudaisiru Jibrin a.k.a. Namakele/Alarama, a leader of a newly-uncovered Boko Haram cell in Kano on July 17.

“Preliminary investigation so far conducted revealed that he was also the mastermind of the shooting of some students at Government Secondary School (GSS), Mamudo village near Potiskum, Yobe State, in 2013,’’ he said.

The operative also said that the service arrested one Mukhtar Tijani, a “notorious Boko Haram fighter’’ and three of his accomplices on July 8 at Ungunwar Mu’azu in Kaduna.

Opuiyo named the accomplices as Isiaku Salihu, Abdullahi Isah and Hindu Isah.

He added the four suspects were apprehended while perfecting arrangements for major coordinated attacks on selected targets and locations in Kaduna State.

The operative said on Aug. 12, the DSS arrested three members of Ansaru terrorist group, Usman Abdullahi, Abdulmummuni Sado and Ahmad Salihu hibernating in Kogi.

He said that they were arrested while “making arrangements to launch attacks on some selected targets in Edo and Kogi States, before escaping to join ISIS in Libya.’’

Opuiyo said the arrested of one Aikhoje Moses on Aug. 19 at Azagha by-pass Benin-Asaba expressway following threat messages issued against some members of the Diplomatic Corps in Abuja and Lagos.

“Before his arrest, Moses had threatened the diplomatic community in Nigeria, particularly the Consular-Generals of Switzerland and Denmark and their Embassies in Nigeria, warning them to leave the Country,’’ he said.

He said other criminal suspects included one Abdullahi Haruna, alias Gouglas, a bread seller on Aug. 13 following recurring attacks by cattle rustlers in Zamfara.

Opiuyo said his arrest followed series of operations conducted by the service in collaboration with the military to degrade a “criminal network of one Buhari General’’ in the state.

“Haruna was intercepted while using the cover of his petty business to monitor security bases and movement of security agents in the state in a bid to facilitate counter-attacks against security personnel deployed to the state.

“Also, on Aug.12, 2016, at Aliero town in Aliero Local Government Area of Kebbi, one Hussaini Alhaji Sule aka Yellow, was apprehended by the service.

“ His arrest was facilitated by an earlier operation of 29th July, 2016, when one Hafizu Sani, a spy and criminal associate of “Buhari GENERAL”, was apprehended by this service.

“Prior to his arrest, Sani was also spying on the movements of security agents in Zamfara State.

“Sani in concert with other elements, have been terrorising local communities in Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara Sstates respectively, engaging in cattle rustling and kidnapping,’’ Opuiyo said.

He explained that other arrests were made in Benue and Akwa Ibom states.

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“This service wishes to urge the general public to remain vigilante and alert to developments in their immediate environs, and to support security and law enforcement agencies, with critical information on suspicious persons and groups,’’ he said.

This, he said, was to sustain the relative peace across the federation.

NAN