Security operatives have recovered some 150 AK 47 rifles, 20 rocket propellers and 3000 live ammunitions, from the residence and hideout of a suspected Boko Haram kingpin in Gbaganu area of Minna, Niger state.
This was in a joint operation of the Army and Department of State Service (DSS) that lasted several hours. The residence was raided during the early hours of Tuesday resulting in gun battle with the suspect, during which he escaped arrest.
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Reports say “The Boko Haram kingpin bought the two-bedroom apartment from a local of the area about a year ago. Since he moved to the area, he neither allowed anybody into his house nor allow members of his family to visit anybody,” said a resident.
“The operation lasted some hours during which we were perpetually in fear, we couldn’t sleep,” he added.
It was also gathered that neither the name of the fleeing suspected terrorist nor that of any of his family members, is known to the neighbours owing to their secluded lifestyle.
Although the police authorities did not comment but a top security source tmsaying “150 AK 47 guns, 20 rocket propellers, 3000 live ammunitions were recovered from the residence of the Boko Haram kingpin.”
It was further learnt that “security intelligence had been monitoring the activities of the terrorist who is said to be an indigene of Kogi state and discovered that he was piling dangerous weapons in the house.
“When the terrorist discovered that he was being overpowered by the firepower of the security operatives, he brought down the back fence of his building and escaped through the bush path into an adjoining forest around Bosso area of the state.”
Although, the criminal escaped after using the propeller it was learnt that seven members of his family were arrested by the security operatives after the Boko Haram kingpin escaped into the adjoining forest.
It could not be ascertained whether the arrested family members of the fleeing suspected terrorist were in Minna or taken out of the state..
It would be recalled that in a similar incident in 2021, the Niger state government had demolished a building of a suspected Boko Haram member who was arrested around same Gbaganu area.
The insurgent, whose house was demolished, was said to have played a major role in a terrorist attack in Abuja.
