DSS uncovers foreign terrorists in Benue, others

A top Presidency source has disclosed that the Department of State Service (DSS), alongside other security agencies  have identified an Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) network operating within some North Central and South-South sections of Nigeria. The source said this was contained in a report submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari recently.

It noted that ISWA network was using foreign terrorists and recruiting young men fighting and killing innocent persons ostensibly to exacerbate tensions along the county’s ethnic, religious and regional fault lines.

The discovery, the report said was made following the arrest of several suspected attackers made up of Fulani herdsmen, government-sponsored militias, militants and other miscreants in Benue Sate. Among those in custody were many who spoke none of the languages native to Nigeria but the French.

The source revealed that a “good number” of the Islamic state terrorists were arrested not only in the Benue valley, but significantly in several towns in Edo State, specifically in Akoko-Edo, Okpella and Benin as well as in Okene in Kogi State.

According to the source, “it is understood that the cell which has members in different parts of the country concentrates on recruiting young men to fight for the Islamic State in West Africa by unleashing the cold-blooded murder of innocent citizens.

“There was intelligence that they had planned several attacks here, before and during Christmas and the New Year. Their bombing targets included fuel depots, foreign missions, police and military establishments.

“Their network is very wide. But so much was achieved by the DSS, which had made a significant number of arrests in the last two months that helped to preempt those attacks.

“This helped to save Nigeria from the spate of major terrorist attacks witnessed elsewhere that were syndicated by ISIS worldwide.”

The report also revealed that security officials feared an influx of other ISIS members into many parts of the country: “We are learning more and more about this complex and sophisticated network. This is the main reason the secret service is not parading those suspects so far arrested. It has become clear to us by now, that the challenge facing this country is a serious one.”

Presidential Media Aide, Garba Shehu, confirmed that Buhari received what he described as “report upon report on the situation in Benue and other states” and that the DSS recorded a lot of success lately but said he had not been briefed on any of those reports.

Herdsmen: FG uncovers 1,400 illegal border routes

•Tension as helicopter allegedly delivers arms to Taraba community

The Federal Government has identified over 1,400 illegal border routes, with over 80 of these routes in Adamawa State alone.

This was as the Director General, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Prof. Oshita Oshita said Nigeria is in security dilemma and called for the immediate reconfiguration of the country’s security architecture.

At a media roundtable convened by an international non-governmental organisation, Search for Common Ground, in Abuja, at the weekend, to discuss and find solutions to recent herdsmen-farmers’ attacks in Benue, Plateau, Taraba and Nasarawa states, a security expert revealed that only about 85 of the illegal border routes had been confirmed and manned by the Nigeria Immigration Service, and added that five are in Adamawa.

 Oshita said the country is in a situation where everybody wants to own a gun for fear of the unknown, which according to him, “looks like the road to Somalia.”

“When people find increasingly that they are not protected or that government cannot give them the protection that they require, they resort to self-help and when many communities do this, it will get to a situation we characterise as ‘security dilemma,’ whereby everybody is getting one weapon or the other in order to protect him or herself because of fear that the state is unable to protect them. And, that can become potentially very dangerous because you begin to find too many small arms and light weapons. We already have a bad case with proliferation of weapons; meaning that the security agencies must reconfigure their security system in order that the person in the remotest part of Nigeria will have a sense of security,” he stated.

Meanwhile, there is tension and apprehension in Taraba State, after an helicopter allegedly loaded with  a large cache of arms and ammunition, on Saturday night, landed in Jibu village, along River Benue, in Ibi Local Government Area of the state.

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Darius Ishaku on Media and Publicity, Mr. Bala Dan-Abu said the arms and ammunition were allegedly meant for a militia group that may be planning an attack on Taraba villages.

“This system of arms delivery was used prior to the tragic attacks in Agatu communities, in Benue State, last year, which led to the killings there. When it was reported, nothing was done to trace and arrest the owners of the helicopter. The strategy worked for them in Agatu and they are using it again, today. This may be another planned militia attacks on the people of Taraba in the offing,” he said.

In a phone interview on Sunday, the member representing Wukari II Constituency in the House of Assembly, Josiah Aji, said he was also alerted of the development and has contacted the chairman of the council, Mr. Daniel Adi, to be on the alert and other security agencies to investigate the allegation.

A resident of Jibu, who declined to be named, insisted an helicopter had, late last year, landed in the village but that the mission of the helicopter has not been ascertained.

But, Police/Public Relations Officer in the state,  ASP David Misal, dismissed the information as “mere rumour and cautioned against spreading fake information.

“For now, the information remains mere rumor, but, we have our men there. As soon as we have further information about the issue, I will get back to you,” he said. 

The alleged helicopter incident is coming just days to the January 24 date set for the full implementation of the anti-open grazing law in the state and threats of bloodbath by some group who are already opposed to the law.