The Federal Government, on Friday, raised the alarm that a Boko Haram affiliate, Muslim Brotherhood Cell in Kogi State, has concluded plans to acquire bomb-making chemicals and high-calibre weapons to perpetrate acts of terror, including attacks on banks, arms depots and prisons in the country.
It said that intelligence gathered showed that the cell was making frantic efforts to advance its IED-making capability through the acquisition of such chemicals as Sodium Azide (for producing improvised detonators), Potassium Chlorate (alternative to ammonium nitrate used for producing IEDs) and Aluminium Powder (a fuel source for amplifying explosions).
In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that one Usman, an IED apprentice, left the cell some time back to join Islamic State in Libya.
He said that, “The new desire to acquire IED precursor chemicals could suggest that Usman or other persons may have returned from Libya and have acquired IED-making skills intended to increase the activities of the group.”
The Minister said intelligence also revealed that the group was making serious efforts to acquire sophisticated arms, including shoulder-fired rocket launchers.
Alhaji Mohammed appealed to citizens to be vigilant and to report any suspicious persons or movements to appropriate authorities.
He said, ‘’Further intelligence monitoring has revealed that members of the Muslim Brotherhood are planning to forcefully free their members who are in detention in Kogi, Abuja and Kaduna, including one Bilyaminu, an IED expert for the group who is now at Kuje prison,’’ he said.
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