The Department of State Services (DSS) foiled a Boko Haram attack on one of Nigeria’s highbrow residential areas, Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi, Lagos, it was revealed yesterday.
Forty-five alleged members of the sect have been identified as masterminds of the plot.
They were arrested by the DSS following intelligence reports about their activities.
The suspects were ordered to be remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons yesterday by an Isolo Magistrate’s Court pending arraignment.
Names of the suspects in custody was given as: Abuyi Sheriff, Babagana Ali, Abass Ibrahim, Abubakar Grema, Kabiri Ibrahim, Mustaph Mohammed, Usman Mohammed, Modu Amsami, Isa Agafi, Adamu Jebili, Saja Kamba, Abba Sagoma, Mallam Buchu, Abdul-Kareem Abba, Babagana Koloye, Usman Buka and Adamu Mohammed.
Others are Lawal Mohammed, Tela Abana, Mustapha Mohammed, Isa Agafi, Belo Modu, Kachala Babagana, Modu Abu and Alhaji Modu Mustapha.
The attack was supposed to have taken place last month soon after the arrival of the suspects in Lagos.
However, the DSS thwarted the plot by first mounting surveillance on them followed by their arrest.
Recovered from the suspects were arms.
It was gathered that the DSS also obtained confessional statements from them.
The suspects will remain in detention pending conclusion of investigation and filing of charges.
Recall that in August, Nigeria’s secret police announced the arrest of 19 suspected terrorists in Lagos, Enugu, Plateau, Kano and Gombe States.
They were described as commanders and frontline members of the sect who had played key roles in Boko Haram’s bloody campaign in the Northeast.
One of the suspects, Usman Shuaibu (alias Money), claimed to have co-ordinated the attacks with N500, 000 which was provided by his Amir, Isa Ali.
The DSS in a statement, said: “Shuaibu claimed that the said Isa Ai has links to the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, from where he collects monies to fund operations undertaken by their Markaz.
“Also, he revealed that he has participated in several Boko Haram attacks, including the attacks at Gwoza Divisional police Station in 2014”.
He was also alleged to have admitted being the leader of a nine man Boko haram cell dispatched from Sambisa forest to carry out the attacks.