The Department of State Services (DSS) has issued an alert to the nation over renewed plots by criminal elements to create more chaos in the country by using improvised explosive devices, IED, to bomb public places in the country.
The Spokesman for the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, made the statement available to journalists on Tuesday, stating that the miscreants were plotting to return Nigeria to the pre-2015 era when they bombed both soft and hard targets in parts of the country.
The statement also noted that though there are already reported cases of such incidents in some areas, the Service has uncovered a ploy by suspected criminal gangs to forge an alliance among themselves with a view to launching further attacks on critical infrastructure and other frequented public places like worship and relaxation centres, especially during and after the holidays and festive celebrations.The statement further added that the objective of the planned attacks, is to achieve some self- serving interests as well as cause fear among the citizenry.
“Following these, patrons, owners and managers of aforementioned public places are advised to be wary of this development and implement basic security measures to deter the threats. While the Service is committed to the disruption of this trend and pattern of violent attacks, it will continue to partner with other security agencies to ensure that necessary drills are emplaced in order that public peace and order are not jeopardized.”
They however asked citizens to go about their lawful businesses while sharing useful information on the activities of criminals at their disposal with security and law enforcement agencies.