The State Security Service (SSS) has listed some areas that may be attacked by terrorists during Eid-el-Fitr. This was contained in a press statement issued by the service on Friday, July 1.
The statement read, “The general public is aware that in recent days, some States of the Federation have witnessed spate of kidnapping incidents perpetrated by criminal elements in a bid to further their selfish pecuniary and/or criminal interests.
”In furtherance of security measures initiated to checkmate this trend, series of special tactical operations were carried out by this Service, where successful arrests of masterminds of these criminal gangs were made by the Service, while their hide-outs were decimated.
”On 7th June, 2016, one Kabiru Shuaibu, the ring-leader of a kidnap gang, comprising his accomplices namely: Haruna Saleh, Tukur Shuaibu and Abdulmumuni Adamuna, were arrested by the Service along Murtala Muhammad Bridge, along Lokoja-Abuja Highway, in Lokoja, Kogi State. The suspects were part of a criminal gang which has been terrorizing innocent citizens in the Northern region of the Federation.
”During their arrest, a locally-made pistol, seven (7) cartridges, fourteen (14) mobile phones and six hundred and fifteen thousand naira (N615,000) were recovered on them. On 8th June, 2016, one Reuben Akinbehinje aka Chairman, the ring-leader of a notorious kidnap syndicate, was arrested by this Service in Akure, Ondo State, along with five (5) other members of his gang namely; John Imoleayo Uche, Seun Lajuwon, Seun Iseoluwa Akintayo, Lateef Fayemi Hammed and Saheed Oyewo.
”The AKINBEHINJE gang has been the brain behind the kidnap of two Catholic nuns in the State and other criminalities such as armed robbery, hijack and diversion of fuel tankers and cult-related activities in Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Lagos and Kwara States.
”Similarly, on 12th June, 2016, this Service arrested one Ifeanyi Michael Onyike, a suspected kidnap kingpin at D-line, Port Harcourt in Rivers State. Onyike was involved in the kidnap of Ebere Chinda, wife to Igo Chinda, the Personal Assistant (PA) to the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi. Further to this tactical offensive, on 25h June, 2016, in one of the North-Western States, one Sani Abdullahi, and his three accomplices, namely Rufai Tukur Abdullahi, Najeeb Abubakar and Abdullahi Ahmed, were apprehended by this Service.
”Also, this Service wishes to alert the general public to be wary of suspicious packages and persons, as celebration of the Eid-el-Fitr approaches. The Service is availed of intelligence which indicates threat by extremist elements to attack selected locations across the Federation, particularly parks and congregations of worshippers, in order to further their cause.
The Service wish to state that it will continue to deploy every window within its constituted mandate to ensure the security and safety of all law-abiding residents and citizens wherever they reside. We therefore call on the general public to be security-conscious and to report any suspicious persons/groups or activities to relevant security agencies.”
