– 

THE federal government has alerted Nigerians to the plan by Muslim Brotherhood cell, a Boko Haram affiliate, in Kogi State, to acquire bomb-making chemicals and high-calibre weapons to perpetrate acts of terror, including attacks on banks, arms depots and prisons.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, February 10, Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, said intelligence monitoring had shown that the cell was making frantic efforts to advance its IED-making capability through the acquisition of such chemicals as Sodium Azide, for producing improvised detonators, Potassium Chlorate, alternative to ammonium nitrate used for producing IEDs, and Aluminium Powder, a fuel source for amplifying explosions.

”One Usman, an IED apprentice, left the cell some time back to join Islamic State in Libya. The new desire to acquire IED precursor chemicals could suggest that Usman or other persons may have returned from Libya and have acquired IED-making skills intended to increase the activities of the group,” Mohammed said.

The minister further disclosed that intelligence also revealed that the group was making serious efforts to acquire sophisticated arms, including shoulder-fired rocket launchers.

”Further intelligence monitoring has revealed that members of the Muslim Brotherhood are planning to forcefully free their members who are in detention in Kogi, Abuja and Kaduna, including one Bilyaminu, an IED expert for the group who is now at Kuje prison,” he said.

Mohammed appealed to Nigerians to be vigilant and to report any suspicious persons or movements to the appropriate authorities.

—  Feb 20, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT

|