The Department of State Security (DSS) has arrested two suspected commanders of the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
DSS Spokesman, Mr Tony Opuiyo, said the suspects were arrested in Kukuntu village, Gwgwalada on May 5, after special operations on identified targets.
“Determined to continuously thwart the budding cells of the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) and Boko Haram, the Service conducted special operations on identified targets. This led to the successful arrest of Bashiru ADAMS and RUFAI SAJO, commanders of the group on 5th May, 2018 at Kukuntu Village, Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, Abuja,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
The suspects were identified as Bashiru Adams and Rufai Sajo.
According to Opuiyo, the suspects were discovered to have concluded plans in collaboration with Boko Haram to carry out heinous violent attacks on innocent persons.
He said that in a related operation on April 28, the service also arrested one Umar Dogo, a suspected member of ISWA at Muda Lawal market in Bauchi.
Two experts in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Adamu Hassan, aka Bale and Abubakr Abubakar aka Alhaji or Buba, were also arrested following intelligence reports.
“Also 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.”
Meanwhile, Lagos State was also not spared as on 14th May, 2018, the service rescued a kidnap victim, Bimbo Adebiyi, after raiding the group’s hideout at Grace Estate in Ajah area of the state.
Members of the kidnap gang that were apprehended include: Tunde Akinsola, Wakil Alade, Olumide Braimoh, Raymond Adingiou.
Others are: Isiaq Abesin, Victoria Nwabueze and Zabala Amolokwe.
He said that on March 27 the service also arrested five members of a kidnap syndicate at Calabar.
The suspects are: Simeon Paul, Emmanuel Etim, Eric Out, Famous Oleke and Felix Eshet.
He said that items recovered from them include: one AK-47 Rifle, three empty AK-47 Magazines, 38 rounds of live ammunition, two live rounds of 9mm ammunition, one Mossberg pump action rifle and 15 live cartridges of ammunition.00000
