Police foil planned IED attacks on govt facilities in Ondo, apprehend six

The Ondo State Police Command has successfully stopped an attempt by suspected criminals to carry out attacks using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in parts of Akure and other areas of the state.

According to reports, the suspects had already entered the state and identified specific government infrastructures they planned to target before security operatives intervened.

Speaking on Thursday during a press briefing at the command headquarters, the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, said the operation was based on credible intelligence.

He explained that officers were quickly deployed to the affected locations after receiving the information, leading to the disruption of the planned attacks.

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.

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