A suspected member of a militant group allegedly
planning to blow up the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos
State, has been arrested by the police in Majidun,
Ikorodu area of the state.
The suspect, Abiodun Amos, aka Senti, was said to be a
bomb expert, who had participated in several robbery
attacks and kidnappings in Lagos and Ogun states.
PUNCH Metro learnt that two Ak-47 rifles concealed in
a bag and a vehicle loaded with dynamite and
detonators were recovered from the suspect’s hideouts
around the creeks in Majidun.
It was gathered that Amos’ arrest followed an
intelligence report received by the office of the National
Security Adviser to the President.
The report was said to have been passed onto the
Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who directed
the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response
Team, led by ACP Abba Kyari, to go after the group.
A police source disclosed to our correspondent that
Amos was a top commander of a militant group, which
had been terrorising communities in Lagos and Ogun
states.
The source said, “The suspect is a member of a militant
group operating from the creeks of Ikorodu and Arepo
areas of Lagos and Ogun states. The police got an
intelligence report from the office of the NSA that Amos
and his gang members wanted to blow up the Third
Mainland Bridge.
“The group was trailed to a river bank in the Majidun
area, where the suspect, an expert in explosive, was
arrested. Two Ak-47 rifles hidden in a Ghana-Must-Go
bag were found in his possession and he led operatives
to a vehicle parked discreetly within Ikorodu, and a
large cache of dynamite and detonators were recovered
from its boot.”
PUNCH Metro learnt from another source that some
members of the gang earlier arrested gave detectives
information that led to Amos’ arrest, adding that the
police were on the trail of other members of the gang.
“After receiving the report, the IG directed the IRT
operatives to commence a full-scale investigation and
it was discovered that the group actually planned to
blow up the bridge at the end of November 2016. The
suspect, who coordinated the plan, was arrested before
the scheduled date,” the source added.
In his confessional statement, Amos, who hails from
Arugbo in the Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo
State, reportedly told the police that his gang was
frustrated by the military operations against pipeline
vandals.
The 43-year-old man said his gang went into kidnapping
after the bombardment of the creeks, adding that the
botched attack on the bridge was initiated by the overall
ringleader identified as General Ossy.
“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 offer us
pipeline protection contract. We have made several
appeals, but the government is not listening to us.
“General Ossy said if we didn’t blow up the Third
Mainland Bridge, government would not listen to us. We
had concluded plans and we decided to carry out the
attack by November ending. I am the group’s explosive
expert. We were about going into the creek to conclude
plans on how to carry out the attack when I was
arrested.”
The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Don Awunah,
confirmed the arrest and seizure of the explosives,
saying investigation was ongoing.
He said, “An arrest was made of an individual. While
the police operatives were pursuing another one in a
vehicle, he abandoned the vehicle and ran but he was
tracked down. Some explosives were discovered in the
vehicle and two Ak-47 guns were recovered from him.”
