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The Department of State Security Service, DSS, has recorded a major success against criminals posing serious challenges to the nation through attacks on oil installations and kidnap of prominent Nigerians for pecuniary gains.
The DSS said last night that it foiled fresh planned attacks on vital oil facilities in the Niger Delta region by arresting the masterminds of the onslaughts before they were able to carry out their nefarious actions.
In a statement made available by the security agency and signed by Tony Opuiyo, said the DSS also arrested no fewer than 15 kidnap kingpins from various parts of the country, including the man who kidnapped the Personal Assistant to the Transport Minister, Igo Chinda.
The DSS said all the arrests were made in the month of June through what it called ‘series of special tactical operations’, which led to the decimation of the criminals’ hideouts.
Among the key elements arrested for planning to unleash series of bombing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region, were one Christian Oluba alias Sensor, who the DSS described as a militant with the Niger Delta Avengers.
According to the agency, Sensor was arrested still perfecting plans to carry out attacks on critical oil and gas pipelines, including storage points. Also napped and taken into the custody of the agency, is another NDA member, Selky Kile Torughedi, which DSS described as an ex-militant and a close associate of Government Ekpomopolo, alias Tompolo.
Torughedi, who was arrested in Calabar, Cross River State, was said to have carried out reconnaissance on the home of a serving military officer, M.B.Yahaya, in Kaduna and was about to assassinate him before being arrested by the DSS.
The suspect was said to be assisting the DSS with leads into the crime and those associated with him. Also in the custody of the agency is one Ifeanyi Michael Onyike, a suspected kidnap kingpin, who operates from D-line, Port Harcourt in Rivers State. Onyike is said to have spearheaded the kidnap of Ebere Chinda, wife to Igo Chinda, the Personal Assistant (PA) to the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.
In a related crime, the DSS has in conjunction with the Nigerian military and the police, arrested one Nanpon Sambs (aka Yabam), an illegal arms dealer in Langtang North LGA in Plateau State. The suspect is believed to be a strong member of a notorious black market arms syndicate led by one Peter Nehemia (aka Adagyo) which operates in the State.
The DSS said it recovered a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) launcher and circuit charger from a Toyota Highlander SUV belonging to the suspect while conducting a check on him.
Meanwhile, the service has arrested one Chidiebere Onwudiwe, a graduate of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering and known member of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, for plotting to attack public places and churches.
According to available information, Onwudiwe and his associates within and outside the country, were planning to carry out coordinated attacks against religious bodies/edifices, police check points, and the Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos State, with Improvised Explosive devices (IEDS).
Luck however ran out of the suspect when he was arrested by the DSS while making logistics supplies for their nefarious plan. Beyond them, the DSS also picked up no fewer than 15 kidnap kingpins across Nigeria last month.
