From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
THE Department of State Services (DSS), at the weekend said it had arrested Jones Abiri aka General Akotebe Darikoro, leader of the Joint Revolutionary Council of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF) and the mastermind of the coup plot hoax that made the rounds recently.
It also said that in the last two months, several members of Boko Haram, kidnappers and imposters were arrested. Making this disclosure in a release signed by its spokesperson, Tony Opuiyo, the security agency revealed that it also arrested the militants alleged to be responsible for the killing of two soldiers in the Niger Delta and a Boko Haram kingpin, who was said to be planning to bomb Abuja. Similarly, it arrested the kidnappers who abducted two Catholic nuns and their driver in Akure, Ondo State.
The DSS said that it recorded a breakthrough when it arrested Darikoro on July 21, 2016, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Darikoro was alleged to have initiated a hoax to the effect that elements within the military had hatched a plan to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari. He was alleged to have sent fake threat messages to the managements of NAOC and SPDC demanding for the payment of the sum of N500 million and N200 million respectively. He also threatened to launch missile attacks against selected targets including the Presidential Villa, in Abuja.
The militant group led by him, JNDLF, has been pursuing a separatist agenda in connivance with other gangs in the Niger Delta region. The DSS said that Darikoro, who operates under the nom-de-guerre “General- Kill and Bury,” had confessed and owned up to some criminal activities committed by the JNDLF, which was accused of vandalizing the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) trunk line in Ogboinbiri, Southern Ijaw LGA and bombing of oil pipeline belonging to Shell Development Company (SPDC) at Brass creek in Bayelsa State on July 8, 2016.
The DSS further stated: “On July 21, 2016, one Stephen Mamayebo aka Oscar, a suspected militant was arrested at OMPADEC Primary School in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Mamayebo was arrested in connection with the kidnap of an expatriate staff of Setraco Construction Company and subsequent murder of two soldiers, namely Garba Umar/Sgt and Bashir Kabiru/Pte, along Ogbia-Nembe road on April 5, 2016.
“Furthermore, on July 20, 2016, at Travellers Mosque, along Kaduna- Zaria Highway in Igabi LGA of Kaduna State, the trio of Ismaila Shuaibu, Kabiru Nasiru and Inusa Abdullahi were arrested during a tactical raid by this Service. The trio were members of a notorious kidnap gang which has been terrorizing innocent citizens along the Abuja-Kaduna highway, and other environs within Kaduna State.
“On July 22, 2016, about 1730 hours, at Total petrol station, along Aba road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, one Chukwunyere Austin Okwaa was apprehended by the Service. Okwaa has been issuing death threats against the former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Ibim Semenitari.”
In continuation of its fight against terrorism, the DSS said that it apprehended a Boko Haram kingpin, Bulama Mohammed Ramat aka Muhammad Bashir Muhammadu at Jabi Motor Park, in Utako, Abuja. Prior to his arrest, Muhammadu was planning to attack the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs, in collaboration with other elements of an extremist cell of the Boko Haram group.
Giving further insights into recent successes recorded by it, the DSS said: “On June 22, 2016, a raid on suspected criminals/miscreants hide-outs behind Ado Bayero Quarters at Naibawa area of Kumbotso LGA of Kano State, resulted in the recovery of one AK-47 rifle with 28 rounds of live ammunition. Other items recovered during the operation are one Browning model pistol with two rounds of live ammunition and a P5 pistol with 10 live rounds.
“Same day, the Service apprehended one Saidu Yahaya, during the screening of prospective Hajj pilgrims at the Muslim Pilgrims Board in Jos, Plateau State. Yahaya has been under the radar of the Service as a black-market and illegal gunrunner who has been supplying arms and ammunitions to criminal and ethnic/religious bigots in Plateau, Taraba, Benue and Nassarawa States.
“In another development, on July 19, 2016, one Samson Chijioke Nzegwu was arrested at Obuofia village, in Nkanu-West LGA of Enugu State. Nzegwu is the ring-leader of a criminal-syndicate which has been using cloned/forged paraphernalia of the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Lawrence Ugwuanyi, to defraud members of the public. During his arrest, the sum of N1 million, three laptops, 10 different mobile phones, and other incriminating items were recovered from him,” it noted.
Nemesis caught up with Esan Abiodun Christopher aka Maiyegun, a key member of the gang led by Reuben Akinbehinje, which abducted two Catholic nuns and their driver in Akure on July 17, 2016, at Idi-Mango Ore area in Odigbo LGA of Ondo State as he was arrested by DSS agents.
“The suspect was apprehended while coordinating plans to hijack fuel-supply tankers in Oyo State. He is currently under detention with five other members of his criminal gang, with whom he had masterminded the hijack of several fuel tankers in Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Kwara and Kogi States,” DSS said.
The DSS has, therefore, advised all citizens and residents to remain vigilant and report all suspicious persons, parcels or vehicles to the nearest security formation. It also enjoined members of the public to recognize that individual and societal safety remain a collective responsibility of all and urged the citizenry to support security and law enforcement agencies with critical information that would assist in providing a safe environment for all to carry out their legitimate business without let or hindrance.