Details of the operations of the Department of State Services, which led to the arrest of 10 suspected members of Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province in Ilesa, Osun State, have been revealed.
The operation was carried out at an old bungalow building close to St. Mary Catholic Church, Ifofin, and Ogbon Idio, Ilesa, in the Ilesa-East Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the raid happened around 1am on December 16, 2024, and was carried out by a team of DSS operatives numbering about 30.
News about the arrest of the suspects became public knowledge on January 10, when the DSS sought an order from a Federal High Court in Abuja to detain them for 60 days.
The suspects are Adamu Abubakar (aka Abu Aisha), Babagana Bashuli, Muhammed Adam, Mustapha Abacha, Katuru Muhammed, Babakura Abacha, Muhammed Ciroma, Ali Gambo, Muhammed Umoru, and Muhammed Bundi.
According to the DSS, the suspects were arrested while undergoing training on how to manufacture and detonate explosives, disclosing that its preliminary investigation revealed that the respondents were members of the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group.
Our correspondents reliably gathered that the operation, which led to their arrest, lasted 90 days and was carried out by two different teams from the DSS headquarters.
The first team, according to sources, arrived in Ilesa in late September, while the second team arrived in mid-November 2024.
“Osun command was not involved in the operation because the first signal on the activities of members of ISWAP in Ilesa was compromised,” a source said.
Sharing his knowledge of the operation with Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, another highly credible source said, “The operation was carried out in the wee hours of that day at Ifofin, Ilesa, and it went well. There was no gunshot at all, and that prevented people from knowing about it.
“The undercover agents arrived in Ilesa last September 2024. They lived and interacted with people in the area and were able to pin down the exact location of the suspects.
“After confirming the locale and the activities of the suspects, a tactical team was sent from the headquarters, and the officers understudied the environment for another 30 days. The suspects were arrested with ISWAP materials and bomb-making equipment.
“None of the personnel who carried out the operation lived in Osun, and the majority of them left immediately after they arrested the suspects. The last batch of the team left last Saturday.”
