DSS nabs militant leader behind rumoured coup against Buhari, others

Men of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the leader of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF), Jones Abiri, also known as General Kill and Bury, for pipeline vandalism, circulating coup rumour and militancy in the Niger Delta region.

A statement from the service, signed by Tony Opuiyo and made available to Sunday Tribune on Saturday, said Abiri, also known as General Akotebe, was arrested in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Thursday.

General Kill and Bury’s group, it will be recalled, threatened to bomb the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State earlier this month.

The statement said Abiri had confessed to engaging in criminal activities through JNDLF, including the vandalism of Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) trunk line in Ogboinbiri and the bombing of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) pipelines at the creek in Bayelsa State.

According to the statement, Abiri also admitted issuing the threat to launch missile attacks on selected targets in Abuja, including the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock.

“Darikoro is also the mastermind of the recently circulated hoax of planned overthrow of President Muhammadu Buhari by the military,” in addition to sending, “threat messages to managements of NAOC and SPDC demanding the payment of N500 million and N250 million respectively,” the statement said in part.

The DSS added that it also arrested another suspected militant named Stephen Mamayebo also known as Oscar, in connection with the kidnap of an expatriate and death of two soldiers whose names were given as Garba Umar and Bashir Kabiru along Ogbia-Nembe Road, in Bayelsa, on April 5.

The statement said it also rounded up a three-man gang notorious for kidnapping and terrorising people along Abuja-Kaduna highway and other environs in Kaduna State.

The trio — Ismaila Shuaibu, Kabiru Nasiru and Inusa Abdullahi — were arrested on Friday, in Kaduna.

“In continuation of its fight against terrorism, the service, on July 20, arrested one Bulala Mohammed Ramat, also called Muhammad Bashir, at Jabi Motor Park, in Utako, Abuja.

“Prior to his arrest, Muhammadu was planning to attack the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs, in collaboration with other elements of an extremist cell of the Boko Haram group,” the statement said.

Samson Nzegwu said to be the ring leader of the forgery syndicate which cloned the paraphernalia of the Enugu State governor, IfeanyiUgwuanyi, was also part of those arrested by the DSS.