From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Department of State Service (DSS) has paraded Boko Haram terrorists planning to unleash spates of attacks on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna and Maiduguri.
Briefing newsmen at the Service’s headquarters in Abuja, Nnanna Nnochiri who stood in for the DSS spokesperson, Tony Opuiyo, listed the names of the terrorists as Yusuf Adamu, Abdumuminu Hala and Bashir Mohammed.
He further alleged that they had planned to infiltrate the ranks of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (a.k.a. Shiites) in an attempt to assume a formidable cover to unleash violence and evoke a complete state of chaos during the group’s Qudus Day Procession/Rally in Abuja and several States in the Northern parts of the country.
Warning Shiites to call off every planned procession, the Service said that the terrorists had equally planned an attack on soft targets like markets, public parks, public processions, recreation centres, as well as worship centres especially the Eid Praying Grounds and other densely populated areas during the forthcoming Eid-el-Fitr Sallah celebration.
Displaying the weapons and other items recovered from the terror suspects, the Service listed eight AK-47 rifles, 20 fully loaded AK-A7 magazines, 27 hand grenades, 793 rounds of live ammunition, one gas cylinder, three laptops, one GSM phone, one Lifan motorcycle, one Honda Civic Car (Ash) and one printer.
According to the DSS, “In the past few weeks, this Service has uncovered a sinister plot by terrorist elements to stage series of coordinated attacks using explosives on some cities across the country. “Their aim was to hit soft targets such as markets, public parks, public processions, recreation centres, as well as worship centres especially the Eid Praying Grounds and other densely populated areas during the forthcoming Eid-el-Fitr Sallah celebration. The latest plan by the terrorists was to unleash mayhem on Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna and Maiduguri.
“Consequently, the Service wishes to announce that the planned terrorist attacks in Kano and aforementioned states have been nipped in the bud. This followed the arrest of Yusuf Adamu and Abdumuminu Hala in the early hours of 23/06/2017, in Sokoto. Adamu and his accomplice were to command the operation in Kano. “However, the Service had earlier arrested the facilitator of the Kano attack, an explosive expert by name Bashir Mohammed at Unguwar Barnawa, Shekar Madaki, Kumbatso LGA, Kano State on June 20, 2017. Their plan, together with others now at large, was to assemble the explosives and use them on select targets during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.