*DHQ, Police, DSS deny knowledge of operation
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
A security operation conducted in a house in a residential estate in Abuja is reported to have nabbed terror suspects.
The operation was reportedly conducted by a Nigerian security agency with foreign support at a terror cell at the Trademoore Estate in Abuja.
The raid preceded the terror alert issued by the United States and the United Kingdom Embassies on Tuesday.
The incidenct occurred Monday evening, at about 7pm at the Trademore Estate, Lugbe, along Abuja Airport Road.
Some reports cited the Department of State Security (DSS) as the Nigerian security agency involved in the operation but the DSS denied involvement in the operation.
Spokesman of the agency, Dr Peter Afunanya, said the agency was not involved in the operation.
“I have no brief on it. I don’t know about such please”, he said.
Defence Spokesman, Maj Gen Jimmy Akpor, was doubtful that such an operation took place.
“Can’t get it! American Army and our DSS team carrying out an operation?”, he queried.
Spokesperson of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, DSP Josephine Adeh, directed inquiries to DSS, effectively denying knowledge of such operation.
Eyewitness said two persons were arrested and whisked away from the scene. The house is located on Isikwuato Street, same street where a former police inspector general was living.
“They stormed the house after cordoning off the area. It was a sting operation that leaves no room for escape for the terror suspect,” a security source revealed.
Detail of items recovered from the scene could not be immediately ascertained, sources said two pistols and a box of explosives were recovered.
According to the eyewitness, “we were already inside the house not knowing that there was an incident of that magnitude going on right close to our house. We only got to know when a neighbour called to say that security had condone off access roads leading to our street,” the source told News Investigators.
“I used to see the guy once in awhile, he hardly goes out….. This is scary for us, it means no where is safe,” the source quipped.
“It’s no longer news that there was a high powered sting operation in Phase 3 this afternoon, culminating in a complete shutdown of our estate”, a resident of the estate said.
