The Kogi State government has commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for arresting the mastermind of the Okene explosion.
The Nigerian News reports that an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Abdulmumin Ibrahim Otaru, a.k.a. Abu Mikdad is currently in custody.
The Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) attack near the palace of Ohinoyi of Ebiraland occurred on December 29, the same day President Muhammadu Buhari visited the state to commission some projects.
Reacting to the development, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said the promptness of the DSS “has further steeled our trust in the security agencies”.
Fanwo noted that the arrest justifies the government’s position that enemies are breeding terror cells, adding that the state would have been turned into a terror zone but for the “master class security architecture”.
Fanwo also urged security agencies to dig deeper to unravel the intent of the attackers and proffer how to avert future recurrence.
He further warned criminals to steer clear “because Kogi will remain inhabitable for cowards masquerading as criminals”.
