Ondo State Police Command has foiled attempts by some suspected criminals to launch attacks on some government infrastructures with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the Akure metropolis and some other parts of the state.
The suspects had allegedly infiltrated the state after mapping out the specific location of attacks.
While disclosing the development on Thursday, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Lawal, during a press briefing at the state headquarters of the command, revealed that operatives were deployed to the identified area after receiving the intel.
According to Lawal, the suspects were apprehended before the planned attack could be executed, adding that the operation led to the arrest of six suspects as well as the recovery of materials suspected to be components for the fabrication of IEDs.
The police boss identified the suspects as Adekunle Prosper, 56, Ojo Olumide, 39, Tope Kolawole, 40, Ahmed Salihu, 40, Bolaji Adebowale, 46, and Gbadebo Abidemi, 43.
He said, “A thorough search of the scene and a subsequent operation at the suspects’ apartment resulted in the recovery of a cache of items, including 217 bottles, a bag of sugar, criminal charms, 17 mobile phones, the sum of 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 items.
“Preliminary assessments indicate that some of these materials were intended for the construction of explosive devices, while others may have been used to facilitate coordinated criminal activities.
“Early findings from the investigation reveal that the group actively engaged in assembling IEDs allegedly intended for deployment on government infrastructures, with indications that their operations may extend beyond the state capital to other parts of the country.”