By Soni Daniel, Editor, Northern Region

Details of how the Department of State Services, DSS, in collaboration with the Army, the Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies successfully arrested a top commander of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, the seizure of 37,000 litres of stolen crude and the elimination of many Boko Haram fighters in Niger State emerged in Abuja yesterday.

A competent security operative told Vanguard in Abuja that the DSS, acting in concert with sister security agencies, carried out the operations which led to the arrest of the notorious IPoB commander in Ebonyi State.

The source, however, declined to release the name of the arrested IPoB commander, saying he was under investigation and would be made known later.

The operative disclosed that the IPoB commander was arrested based on credible information that he was actively recruiting mercenaries in preparation for a major attack on Ebonyi and other South east states.

The source disclosed that no fewer than 600 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, among other dangerous weapons, were recovered from the notorious IPoB fighter.

The top operative said: “On September 9, 2024, a combined team of the DSS and the military apprehended a high profile commander of the proscribed IPOB. The arrest followed intelligence, which confirmed his active involvement in the coordination of IPOB activities in Ebonyi State.
‘’The arrested commander had recruited several mercenaries in preparation for further attacks in Ebonyi State.’’

Beyond that, the operative said based on credible intelligence, the service also collaborated with the NAF and sister agencies to descend on Boko Haram terrorists and bandits who had jointly attacked Bassa-Kukoki village in Allawa district of Shiroro Local Government of Niger State on Wednesday.

The source said while many of the terrorists and bandits were killed in the operation, three members of the community were killed by fleeing bandits, adding that no personnel of the security agency was killed during the operation.

The disclosure came in the wake of another operation by operatives Delta State command of the DSS which led to the interception of a wooden barge containing about 37,000 barrels of crude oil.
According to the top source, five suspects connected to the incident were also arrested during the operation and are being investigated and profiled for necessary prosecution.

The source, who did not want to be named, promised that the DSS was set to tackle increasing threats to national security, in collaboration with sister agencies, and would not allow terrorists and other mercenaries to cause mayhem in the country.