Police Foils Militants Attempt To Bomb Third Mainland Bridge

MICHAEL AKINOLA

 

The Nigerian Police has foiled attempts by a notorious Niger Delta Militant group, operating from the creeks of Ikorodu and Arepo areas of Lagos and Ogun States, to blow up the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered that a suspected militant and member of a gang planning was arrested by the police.

The arrest, according to the police, was made after several weeks of meticulous follow up on intelligence information on the activities of some militants in Lagos and Ogun area, who have been gathering explosives to blow up the bridge in Lagos.

An official of the Police Public Relations office said that one of the key members of the group, who specialises in explosives, Abiodun Amos, 43, also referred to as Senti, was arrested on Wednesday.

Abiodun is from Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, the police said.

Police recovered two AK 47 Rifles, two cartons of Explosives and Detonators.

Reports say policemen who were acting on a tip-off were able to thwart the move by the militant group and the gang leader who is an expert in explosives, identified as Abiodun Amos was arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, who trailed him to a river bank at the Majidun area of Ikorodu, Lagos.

Reports say the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has ordered his men to fish out the militants after the National Security Adviser (NSA) passed a message to his office indicating that the group was at its final stage of carrying out an attack on the Third Mainland Bridge.

Abiodun was arrested at the bank of Majidun River in Ikorodu area of Lagos with two AK47 rifles hidden in a bag he brought from their hideout in the Creek.

The police say he has mentioned other gang members.

“Analysis of the GSM number of the arrested suspect revealed his closed associate in Ikorodu area of Lagos,” the police said.

A statement by the force also said that the suspect, on sighting police operatives deployed to Ikorodu on December 26 to apprehend him, jump out of his car and escaped to the bush.

“On Searching the Toyota Camry car two cartons of Gelatine Dynamite Explosives and hundreds of detonators were recovered in the boot of the car,” the statement read.

The police said efforts were on to arrest the remaining gang members.