BREAKING NEWS:- Recruiter Of Terrorists For ISIS Arrested In Nigeria

The State Security Service has today, announced the arrest of

a man who is alleged to be a recruiter for the Islamic State of

Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

In a statement made exclusively available to Premium

Times, the Department of State Security Service (DSS) on

Tuesday, announced the arrest of one Abdussalam Enesi

Yunusa who is an alleged recruiter for the Islamic State of

Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

According to the statement signed by Tony Okpuiyo, Mr.

Yunusa was arrested in Kano on January 17 after he

‘completed arrangements to embark on a journey to join

an ISIS terrorist training camp in Libya, with other

Nigerians whom he recruited for the ISIS.’

Below is DSS statement in full;

DSS Arrests ISIS Recruiter and Other Terrorists, Planned

Terrorists Attacks in States Aborted

In line with the Service statutory mandate to decisively

and continually provide actionable intelligence as well as

act to degrade persons and groups that threaten internal

security in the Country, the Service initiated series of

tactical operations, involving raids and enforcement

actions against identified criminal and extremist kingpins

and syndicates across the country.

These recent operations have significantly degraded the

key extremist groups and kidnapping gangs, terrorizing

innocent citizens in the Country, particularly in the South-

West, North-West and Middle-Belt regions of the

Federation.

On 17th January, 2016, one Abdussalam Enesi YUNUSA, a

recruiter for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was

arrested in Kano. His arrest was sequel to available

intelligence which indicated his terrorist antecedents and

covert drive to indoctrinate and recruit susceptible youths

in the country.

Prior to his arrest, YUNUSA had completed arrangements

to embark on a journey to join an ISIS terrorist training

camp in Libya, with other Nigerians whom he recruited

for the ‘Islamic State’. These recruits include the trio of

one Muhammed RABI’U, Yahaya Momoh JIMOH and

Zainab SUNDAY (f). YUNUSA is a 400 level undergraduate

student of the Federal University of Technology, Minna,

Niger State, where he was studying for a degree in

Information and Media Technology.

He was subsequently radicalized and became a member of

an extremist cell, comprising of one IBRAHIM (fnu) and

Abubakar LIGALI, whom he revealed are currently

undergoing terrorist training in Libya. He listed one

AMINU (fnu) and Ibrahim JIHADI (Nigeriene), as other ISIS

agents operating in Nigeria and the West African sub-

region. The cell was being funded by one Abu-sa’ad Al

Sudani, a media expert with the extremist group using

Western Union money transfers to fund the terrorist cell

agenda.

On 17th January, 2016, in Daura township of Daura LGA,

Katsina State, another budding extremist cell affiliated to

ISIS, was intercepted by the Service. One Ibrahim

Mohammed DAURA, Zaharadeen SALISU and five other

elements of the proscribed extremist group, Ansaru, were

arrested by the Service. This group was discovered in an

active stage, as its members were already co-ordinating

themselves for attacks in Katsina and Kano States.

In the same vein, on 22nd January, 2016, one Obansa

SALAMI, Ejide TIJANI aka Abu Uwaise II, Mohammed

RABIU aka Ubida II, Zainab MOHAMMED and Abdulqadir

Salisu AHMAD were arrested in Kano by this Service, while

migrating to Libya, with their immediate families including

infants, in a bid to join ISIS. This group was apprehended

after painstaking monitoring of its network and plans.

On 29th January, 2016, the Service arrested Mohammed

Aliyu NDAKO in Kwara State. NDAKO is a seventeen (17)

year old undergraduate student of a tertiary institution in

the State. He was arrested sequel to credible intelligence

on his plans with one Abdulkadir Salisu AHMAD a.k.a

Daddy Tall, another student in Kano State, to carry out

coordinated lone-wolf attacks on selected populated

targets in Nigeria preferably worship centres or recreation

venues. Suspect had hitherto been communicating with

foreign extremist elements, while sourcing online terrorist

training and support.

Within the window of these tactical operations, between

the month of December 2015 and February 2016, the

Service, busted the network of syndicated kidnap gangs

spanning different regions in the country, especially Kebbi,

Zamfara, Niger, Nasarawa, FCT, Oyo and Osun States.

Foremost in this line, was the arrest of a gang of five (5)

kidnappers, Abubakar HASSAN, Usman MUSA, Usman

ADAMU and Idrisa Babangida AHMADU at Ife junction,

Osun State, on 3rd February, 2016.

On 5th February, 2016, the fifth member of the gang, Saidu

ISYAKU was arrested at Ojo area, Oyo State. These

kidnappers, Six (6) AK 47 rifles, five (5) magazines and

about one thousand rounds of ammunition were

recovered. This gang has been active in the South West

axis of the country and were at advanced stages of

kidnapping high value targets for huge ransom, before

they were intercepted.

Another breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping was

the killing of Abubakar MOHAMMED (aka BUBA), and an

unidentified member of his group, on 8th February, 2016

close to Jebba Medical Centre, Jebba, Kwara State by

security operatives as they tried to escape during a

shootout with security operatives. MOHAMMED was a

notorious kidnap kingpin known for his brutality and

various acts of lawlessness. It is disheartening that this

criminal and his men had terrorized, to no end, residents

of the South West zone. He was also linked to the kidnap

of the elder statesman, Chief Olu Falae, in Ondo State.

In the wake of deliberate vandalism of oil pipelines by

criminal elements in the South-South region, the Service

arrested one Nengi Samuel IKIBA aka Kockman Abula, a

notorious pipeline vandal on 27th January, 2016, in Bayelsa

State. IKIBA confessed to vandalizing several pipelines in

the State, including the 24” Agoda/Brass Oil pipeline at

Idema community in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State.

The modest success of the Service in its support to the

Federal Government to achieve its desired economic

objectives and stability may also be noted. To this effect,

the DSS have arrested a group of fraudsters who had

concluded plans to hack the Government Integrated

Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS)

domiciled in the Office of the Accountant General of the

Federation in order to steal Four Billion, Five Hundred

Million Naira (N4.5b) from the Treasury Single Account

(TSA).

The gang was led by one Sunny OKOH, a hacker who

worked in collaboration with the trio of Uwem Udo EKPO,

a Chief Program Analyst in the OAGF, Maxwell EKENE, a

retired security operative and Dozie EGWU, based in

Malaysia and who is now at large. The suspected

fraudsters intended to use a software they had sourced

and codes released to them by EKPO to hack Government

accounts in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and defraud

the Government of this huge sum.

It is instructive to note that a credibility problem would

have arisen over the TSA policy if these hackers had

succeeded in their plan and thus lend credence to the

critics of the policy that it ought not to have been

introduced and implemented. For the avoidance of doubt,

the suspects have been handed over to the EFCC for

further investigations and prosecution.

It is pertinent to state that these successes were recorded

as a result of proactive and credible intelligence offered by

members of the public, sister security agencies and other

stakeholders. This Service wish to state that it will

continue to deploy every means necessary within its

statutory mandate, and armbit of the law to ensure the

security and safety of all law-abiding residents and citizens

wherever they reside.

It is also germane to urge all and sundry to be extra-

vigilant, as well as report any suspicious persons/groups or

activities to relevant security agencies, for the sustenance

of relative peace in the country

Thank You.

Tony OPUIYO

Department of State Service

Abuja.

8th February, 2016.