LAGOS — One of the leaders of a notorious
militant group operating in Ikorodu and Arepo
areas of Lagos and Ogun states, Abiodun Amos,
said yesterday, that his group planned to bomb
the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos because the
Federal Government failed to consider its
members for amnesty.
The group had planned to bomb the bridge end of
last month before Amos’ arrest by the Inspector-
General of Police Special Intelligence Response
Team, led by Abba Kyari, an Assistant
Commissioner of Police, frustrated its efforts.
“We went into bank robberies and kidnapping
because we wanted to get government’s attention
and all we wanted was for them to grant us
amnesty and also offer us pipeline protection
contract.
‘’We have made several appeals but government
is not listening to us.
Abiodun Amos (left), arrested over plans to blow
up Third Mainland Bridge, in Lagos.
‘’General” Ossy (leader of the gang) said if we
don’t blow up the Third Mainland Bridge,
government will not listen to us. We had
concluded plans to carry out the attack by
November ending.
‘’I am the group’s explosives expert and before I
was arrested we were going into the creeks to
conclude plans on how to carry out the attack.”
The suspect, also popularly known as Senti, said
his group was hitherto involved in pipeline
vandalism, noting that it resorted to kidnapping
when it became difficult for its members to
continue with the illegal business due to the
presence of the military and policemen.
The suspect is a 43-year-old native of Arogbo, in
Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
He was arrested by operatives of the Inspector
General of Police Special Intelligence Response
Team, IRT, at a river bank in Majidun area of
Ikorodu, Lagos, on Monday.
Two AK-47 rifles hidden inside a bag were found
with the 43-year-old suspect as Vanguard
reliably gathered that additional two cartons of
explosives, with the words Gelatine Dynamite
inscribed on them, and detonators, were recovered
from the group’s operational saloon car.
Amos’ arrest, it was gathered, followed
intelligence generated by office of the National
Security Adviser to the President, NSA, on
November 2, 2016, that the group had concluded
plans to blow up the Third Mainland Bridge.
Vanguard gathered that the information was
passed on to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr
Ibrahim Idris, who subsequently directed his IRT
to commence investigation into the matter.
During investigation by the team, it was revealed
that the militants had acquired a large quantity of
dynamite and several other explosives with which
to carry out the dastardly act.
Recall that the group in October 2016 carried out
secret illegal operations like pipeline vandalism,
kidnapping and bank robberies and had demanded
for amnesty, threatening to disrupt economic
activities within Lagos and Ogun states if the
Federal Government didn’t grant their request.
Suspected leader of the militant group, General
Ossy (real names not known), had in recent
times, allegedly coordinated many bank robberies
and several high-profile kidnappings, including the
kidnap of three school girls at Babington
Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu;
kidnap of four landlords at Isheri North Area of
Lagos; abduction of Oniba of Ibaland, Oba
Goriola Oseni, among several others within Lagos
and Ogun state s.
‘General’ Ossy had boasted in an interview with
Vanguard that his group has over 21 ‘generals’
commanding 7,800 battle-ready boys, adding that
the group is rich enough to fight the Federal
Government, having acquired thousands of arms
and ammunition similar to that of the military.
He said the arms would be deployed to disrupt
economic activities within Lagos and Ogun states,
should the Federal Government fail to dialogue
with the group and grant its wish.
Confirming the development, Force Public
Relations Officer, Don Awunah, a deputy
Commissioner of Police, DCP, said: “Yes, an
individual was arrested. On sighting the
policemen, the second suspect jumped out of his
car and escaped into the bush, abandoning the
operational vehicle.
‘’On searching the vehicle, two cartons of
Gelatine dynamite explosives and hundreds of
detonators were recovered in the boot of the car.
Efforts to arrest the remaining gang members are
in progress.”
It’s pure insanity — Afenifere
Reacting to the development, Pan-Yoruba socio-
political organisation, Afenifere, described the
move as insane.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin,
said: “It is insane for anybody to hatch such a
satanic plot. To what end and in reaction to
what?
‘’It is good they have been arrested .They should
be properly investigated for us to know what their
motive was and their likely backers.”
Lagos PDP reacts
In its reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, in Lagos State, called on the state
government to up its security to reduce crime
rate.
Its publicity Secretary, Mr Gani Taofik, said:
“Such a plan is evil and can’t be defended. It
must be further verified to remove any doubt and
if a proper fact check confirms it, those arrested
must be made to face the full weight of the law.
‘’This is to now put the Lagos State government
on alert to up its security. The APC government
must address the economic and social injustice
to reduce these angry reactions which ordinary
citizens now suffer. Taking over Sambisa may
now be a fluke as the Boko Haram may
strategically leave there with no loss, into the
cities.
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