Suspected Boko Haram members arrested in Lagos with explosives

There was confusion in Lagos yesterday as men of the State Security Services, SSS, and operatives of the Operation Mesa (OP Mesa), a joint armed forces and police security unit, arrested two suspected members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect with explosives at Ijora Badia area of the state.

One of the suspects is from the North while other is a Chadian. Both were whisked away to Abuja by the SSS.

When contacted, spokesperson for the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Colonel Kingsley Umoh confirmed the raid although he refrained from confirming if the suspects were Boko Haram members. Umoh said the raid was a routine exercise on black spots within the metropolis similar to those carried out intermittently in Mushin, Agege and other parts of the state.

He added that yesterday’s raid was based on a tip off from credible sources. He said: “The Op Mesa as you know is a joint security body and they carried out  

their routine raids today (yesterday) and made some arrests.

The raids are simply a part of those that are carried out everyday based on information at our disposal. “The raids give the public a sense of confidence that we security bodies are working.

“It is the way the OP Mesa was designed and once our sources tip us off, we swing into action and our source has proven to be credible.” However, efforts at contacting the SSS officials in Lagos to comment on the matter proved abortive.

National Mirror gathered that the arrested suspects had packed an unspecified number of explosives in bags, which were hidden in the ceiling of the house in which they were arrested. A resident, who did not want his name mentioned, said: “Some SSS men and policemen came to our area early this morning and recovered some bombs. Those who are close to the house said that the bombs were packed in some bags and kept in the ceiling.”

The security officials also reportedly recovered two AK 47 riffles from the building, which were also taken to Abuja It was gathered that the suspected owner of the house had just about one month ago let out the apartment to the suspects.

The recovery of the explosives created panic among residents of the area, with most of them apprehensive of the fact that there could be more bombs in the community When contacted , the Lagos State Police Public Relatiosn Officer, Ms Ngozi Braide, said she was not aware of any explosives being recovered in Lagos

The traditional ruler of the area, Oba Fatai Ojora, while speaking with National Mirror said that he had begun investigations into the incident and that efforts were on to identify the owner of the house.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that his government would no longer tolerate wanton destruction of lives and property as witnessed on Monday in Kano. He challenged the state government to deploy the resources and any other means available in dealing with the situation.

The President, who spoke through the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, who led a Federal Government delegation to Kano, lamented the effect of the rising conflict in the state and other parts of the North and declared that this situation would no longer be accepted, especially the destruction of human lives. The minister met with Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso at the Government House, Kano to deliver the President’s message.

He said: “We are here as a delegation of the Federal Government at the instance of President Jonathan to commiserate with you, the government and people of Kano State over the unfortunate bomb blast that shook the foundation of this state and claimed so many lives and property.

“I am to convey to you the heartfelt condolences of Mr. President and the people of Nigeria over this unfortunate incident and to say that Mr. President is saddened by the fact that in spite of spirited and determined efforts by government to contend the security challenges, this conflict continues to rear its ugly head occasionally.

“The President particularly has asked me to request that that this singular incident should still be resolved by the Nigerian people to ensure that we mitigate the consequences of this crisis and take steps to stamp them out.”

He added that cases of wanton destruction of lives and properties which took years to put in place would no longer be acceptable and called on all Nigerians, government at all tiers and levels, and friends of Nigeria to accept the reality that security is a joint responsibility of everybody.

“The President also noted that the destruction of valuable and critical infrastructure in recent times in the state has depleted Kano, known for its huge commerce and to say that the great danger of continued conflict in this ancient city portends that investors that ordinarily would want to come to Kano to do business would be so scared that they would no longer want to patronise Kano and this would do an incalculable damage to the economy of Kano and indeed Nigeria.”

“Mr. President has asked therefore that everybody should be involved in necessary sensitisation to enable us as a government contend the security situation we have on hand and that I should give you the assurances of the Federal Government of its support to assist the state government to unravel the mystery surrounding these occasional attacks on the lives of our people.”

In his remark, Kwankwaso expressed gratitude to the president for raising the delegation to assess the situation, adding that the state government has been doing its best in protecting lives and property of residents.

He said that before the devastating Monday attack on the motor park, there had been several attacks in the state

The governor also frowned at the tribal sentiment being attached to the incident, saying that from the list of 25 victims at the hospitals, majority were natives.

Kwankwaso said both Christians and Muslims have been praying for the return of peace and unity in the state.

“We would continue to partner with the Federal Government and local government to find lasting solution to the conflict,” he said.

He said it is regrettable that politicians in Abuja have started politicising the issue for cheap political gains, adding that it is a wrong thing to do.

“We were already collecting names of those who died in the attack and from what we see they are composed mostly of natives and people from this part of the country,” he said.

Minster of Police Affairs, Mr. Caleb Olabode, Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar among others were on the entourage However, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has said that President Jonathan and other stakeholders should take decisive action on the issue of incessant bombings in the country just as it strongly condemned Monday’s suicide bombing in Kano. ACN made this call in a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The party said that it is sad and very unfortunate that the Federal Government is helpless on the matter, noting that it has demonstrated that it lacks the capacity to confront the worsening acts of terrorism in the country.

The party explained that all religious, ethnic and political leaders must start by preaching restraint in their domains, “since it is now clear that the end-gamers behind these senseless killings are bent on setting Nigerians against themselves.”

ACN pointed out, that the recent escalation in the attacks in the north follows the belated visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to the states that have now become the epicentre of the Boko Haram crisis. The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, also yesterday described the Kano bombing as shameful and cowardly.

This is even as the union called on the Federal Government to strengthen the security forces in the country to forestall further attacks on defenseless citizens.

The NLC, in a statement by the acting President, Comrade Promise Adewusi, urged Nigerians to remain united with a view to defeating the orchestrated plan of the perpetrators of the heinous crimes, which is meant to destabilise the country.

While calling on the people to remain calm in the face of intimidation, the Congress advised the people against carrying out reprisals. Adewusi urged the people to forge a sense of community with their neighbours to overcome the temporary challenge foisted on the country by a group of disenchanted renegades.

“We also call on our law enforcement agents to rise to the challenge of combating terror and to especially focus on protecting defenseless and vulnerable people. To be able to do this successfully, our intelligence and security agencies need all the support they can get from government.

“In furtherance of the above, we wish to invite the government to, as a matter of urgency, do all that is necessary and explore all legitimate avenues to bring to an end this insurgency.

“We dare say this includes addressing the remote and immediate causes of this phenomenon, reequipping our intelligence and security forces to be proactive and also be able to cope with new challenges.”