Anxiety enveloped some parts of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Sunday, following the reported arrest of a suspected Boko Haram leader.
A private radio in Abeokuta broke the news on Sunday afternoon which created panic among the residents of the state.
The suspect was reportedly arrested on Saturday night by the operatives of the Department of State Security Service.
An audio of the newscast went viral across social media platforms in the state on Sunday.
The development is being fueled by the alleged plans to attack some states in the South-West by suspected terrorists.
However, a reliable source told PUNCH correspondent that the suspected Boko Haram leader was arrested a few days ago in the Ijaye area of Abeokuta.
The source said the suspect initially put up a resistance before bowing to the superior power of the DSS operatives.
According to the insider, the operation was carried out on Saturday night.
According to the report on the radio, the suspected terrorist reportedly arrived in Abeokuta from Katsina, took up a security job at Ijaye, while gathering intelligence for terrorist attacks.
The security source said, “He (the suspect) moved to Abeokuta to set up terrorists’ cell for kidnapping and terror attacks.
“And following an intelligence gathering, the gun-wielding security operatives stormed his hideout and picked him up.
“It was not an easy ride. Intelligence and the grace of God were sufficient for the operatives.
“There are still many of them around, but we are on top of our game.”
PUNCH correspondent gathered that the suspect is still in DSS custody.
When contacted, the DSS Spokesman, Peter Afunanya, did not respond to the text message sent to his mobile line.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he was not aware of any arrest.
SOURCE PUNCH
