The Ondo State Police Command has stopped some suspected criminals from using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to attack government buildings in Akure and other parts of the state.
The suspects are said to have entered the state after planning where to attack.
On Thursday, Adebowale Lawal, the state’s Commissioner of Police, told reporters at the command’s state headquarters that operatives were sent to the area after receiving the information.
Lawal said that the suspects were caught before the planned attack could take place. He also said that the operation led to the arrest of six suspects and the recovery of materials that were thought to be used to make IEDs.
The police chief named the suspects as Adekunle Prosper, 56, Ojo Olumide, 39, Tope Kolawole, 40, Ahmed Salihu, 40, Bolaji Adebowale, 46, and Gbadebo Abidemi, 43.
He said that a thorough search of the scene and a later operation at the suspects’ apartment led to the recovery of a large number of items, including 217 bottles, a bag of sugar, criminal charms, 17 mobile phones, N187,000, two HP laptops, eight slings, one knife, an external hard drive, two identity cards, one National Identity Number (NIN) card, and two motorcycles, among other things.
“Early evaluations suggest that some of these items were meant to be used to make bombs, while others may have been used to help criminals work together.
“Initial findings from the investigation indicate that the group was actively involved in constructing IEDs purportedly intended for use against government infrastructure, with evidence suggesting that their activities may extend beyond the state capital to other regions of the country.”
