Boko Haram: Army, SSS Uncover Bomb Factory In Kano

A high caliber bomb factory has been discovered by the Joint Security Task Force (JTF) at Gunduwawa village in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State. The factory is believed to belong to the extremist Boko Haram sect.

The Commander, 3 Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Kano, Brig.-Gen. Iliyasu Abba, made the disclosure when he briefed newsmen in Kano on Wednesday.

Mr. Abba said the discovery was made on Tuesday around 2 a.m., during an operation by a combined team of the JTF troops and the Department of State Services (DSS) operatives.

“At about 2 am on Oct. 8, a combined team of the JTF troops and Department of State Services raided two Boko Haram terrorists’ hideouts at Gunduwawa village in Gezawa Local Government Area.

“The raid, which was conducted following a lead on intelligence reports, made no arrests as the terrorists fled the village on the approach of the JTF troops and DSS personnel,’’ he said.

He, however, said one person who was believed to be the son of the owner of the house was killed during the operation.

According to him, the deceased is said to have rented the house to the fleeing terrorists.

He said the team was also able to recover weapons, working tools and materials used for making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

He added that they recovered one assault rifle, two AK58 rifle magazines with 193 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and one AK 47 rifle magazine with 107 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition and bows and arrows.

Others are: three primed cylinders of IEDs, one primed explosive suicide back pack, 18 empty IED cylinders, 24 detonators, and small bag of fertiliser and IED timers.

The rest are: cortex wires and three remote control devices, five Motorola hand held radios, four communicators, six alarm clocks, two cartons of 9-volt batteries, a scale, one external hard drive and one heavy duty charger/battery.

“These weapons, ammunitions and other dangerous materials were meant to wreak havoc on Kano during the Eid-el-Kabir and other festivities before the end of the year.’’

He urged members of the public to continue to cooperate with the JTF operatives in its effort to curb the activities of terrorists in the state.