Nigerian govt arrests man over Buhari military overthrow hoax

The Department of State Services says is has arrested a man its accuses of being the mastermind of a false plot by the military to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari.

A statement issued by an official of the service, Tony Opuiyo, in Abuja on Saturday said the man, Jones Abari, aka Gen. Akotebe Darikoro, was arrested in Yenagoa on July 21.

Opuiyo described the suspect as the leader of the Joint Revolutionary Council of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force ( JNDLF).

He said that Mr. Abari had confessed to other criminal activities which included a threat to launch missile attacks on selected targets in Abuja and Aso Rock.

Others include writing threat messages to the management of the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) demanding for N500 million and N250 million respectively.

SSS said the suspect also masterminded the vandalism of NAOC trunk line in Ogboinbiri, Southern Ijaw and bombing of SPDC oil pipeline.

In another development, the SSS said it had arrested a suspected terrorist, Bulama Ramat, at the Jabi Motor Park, FCT on July 21.

He said that prior to his arrest, Ramat was planning to attack the Federal Capital Territory and its environs in collaboration with other elements of an extremist cell of the Boko Haram group.

SSS said the service also made other arrests in July in Enugu, Ondo, Jos, Kaduna, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt and Kano states.

The service urged all citizens and residents to remain vigilant and report all suspicious persons, parcels or vehicles to the nearest security formation.

“Members of the public are further called upon to see our societal and individual safety as our collective responsibility,” he said.

He advised the public to support security and law enforcement agencies with critical information that would assist in providing a safe environment for all to carry out their legitimate businesses. (NAN)