The Division of State Service has arrested the mastermind of the explosion close to the palace of Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in Kogi State.
The explosion had occurred on December 29, 2022, minutes earlier than the President, Main Basic Muhammadu Buhari (retd), was to fee a challenge within the state.
A minimum of 4 individuals have been mentioned to have died within the assault.
An announcement by the Public Relations Officer, DSS Nationwide Headquarters, Peter Afunanya, on Wednesday, mentioned the service arrested Abdulmumin Otaru aka Abu Mikdad, and certainly one of his associates, Saidu Suleiman on Tuesday.
He mentioned Otaru sustained a gunshot harm on his left foot whereas trying to flee, including that he’s receiving remedy at an undisclosed well being facility.
The assertion learn, “The Division of State Companies needs to tell the general public that it has arrested the mastermind of the Automobile-Borne Improvised Explosive System assault which occurred on December 29, 2022, close to the Palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in Okene, Kogi State through the go to of the President to fee some tasks.
“The Service arrested Abdulmumin Ibrahim Otaru (aka Abu Mikdad) and certainly one of his associates, Saidu SULEIMAN on January 3, 2023. Otaru sustained a gunshot harm on his left foot whereas trying to flee. He’s at present receiving remedy at a well being facility.”
Afunanya mentioned investigations carried out by the service revealed that Otaru is an ISWAP commander and had hyperlinks with lethal assaults within the state in addition to the Kuje custodial middle invasion.
“Throughout investigations, it was ascertained that Otaru was a excessive commander of Islamic State West Africa Province and both coordinated or was concerned within the following dastardly operations:
“i. The twenty fourth June 2022 assault on Nigeria Police Space Command, Eika-Ohizenyi, Okehi LGA of Kogi State. A Police Inspector, Idris Musa was killed and two AK-47 rifles have been carted away in that assault;
“ii. The fifth July 2022 assault on Kuje Medium Safety Custodial Centre in Kuje Space Council of the FCT; and
“iii. fifth August 2022 assault on West African Ceramics Ltd in Ajaokuta LGA, Kogi during which three Indian expatriates have been kidnapped. It might be recalled that 5 individuals together with one Indian, two Policemen, and two drivers of the corporate have been additionally killed within the assault. The kidnapped expatriates have been launched on thirty first August 2022.
“Otaru operated terrorist cells in and round Kogi State. Equally, he and his gang had staged a number of kidnap operations in Kogi and Ondo States. In the meantime, the suspects are in custody and will probably be prosecuted accordingly, ” the assertion added.
He, nevertheless, mentioned the service was working assiduously with stakeholders together with sister safety businesses to sort out the menace of terrorism and different types of criminality and threats to nationwide safety.