IBB, Dasuki on terrorists’ Atack list - SSS
The arrested persons were said to have placed the former military President-General Ibrahim Babangida, the deposed Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki and other prominent Nigerians on their hit list.
Spokesperson for the Service, Marilyn Ogar, Deputy Director, Public Relations, who paraded the suspects before newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday said that the arrests were made possible “as a result of painstaking investigations which lasted for six months.”
According to her,” the Service arrested one Abdullahi Mustapha Berende, an indigene of Ilorin, Kwara State on 17th December 2012 for his active involvement in espionage and terrorist activities.”
She revealed that during investigation, it was discovered that Berende, a 50-year-old local leader of the Shiite Sect in Ilorin was observed to have made several suspicious trips to and from Iran where he interacted with some Iranian elements known to operate a high profile international terrorist network.
She further disclosed that Berende also confessed that in 2006,he gained admission to study a six month course in Modern Shi’a Islamic Teaching at Imam Khomeni University, Iran and he was recruited by some Iranian elements when he returned to Iran for further studies in 2012 where he wad subsequently trained on the use of AK 47 assault rifle, pistols,production and detonation of improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
According to her, “after his return to Nigeria, he was invited by his handlers to Dubai for further briefing in April, 2012 where he was tasked to establish a terrorist cell in the South-Western part of Nigeria with particular emphasis on Lagos.”
Ogar said that in a bid to establish the network in the South- West as directed, Berende recruited three others out of whom two were picked up with him and one escaped.
According to her,”the Iranian sponsors directed Berende to identify and gather intelligence on public places and prominent hotels frequented by Americans and Israelis to facilitate attacks. He was to provide specific details on the following targets organizations like UsAID, Max, Zim International Shipping Company, A A Consulting, Peace Corps and the Jewish Cultural Centre in Lagos.”
She added that the suspect was also tasked to provide names of prominent Nigerians, who, if attacked could unsettle the west which prompted him to give the names of General Babangida and Alhaji Dasuki as targets of attack to his Iranian handlers
The aides he recruited were said to have successfully conducted surveillance and gathered relevant data on all the targets. Preparatory to possible attacks while he personally took the photographs of the Israeli cultural centre in Ikoyi, Lagos which he sent to his sponsors.
Ogar said that before the arrest,Berende had collected various sums of money which ranged between $4,000 to $20,000 for him to establish a small business out in Lagos,to secure a befitting accommodation and the rest for his upkeep for easy coordination.
The leader of the gang, Berende, a post-graduate student of the University of Ilorin while fielding questions from newsmen apologized to his people and Nigerian in general for his ignoble role,saying that he never meant to wage war against his fatherland and that he had learnt his lesson in a bitter way.
