THE radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram appears bent on carrying out some future attacks on Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sources said in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to the source, the group had decided to change the design of the outlook of its operativesfrom the usually heavily bearded, Arab-looking folks to the clean-shaven Western-looking young men, who could easily escape the psychological tests of security operatives.



Sources confirmed that some security agencies had already uncovered the new agenda of the sect, with the recent arrest of some eight recruits, who fall within the description.
It was confirmed that the Boko Haram, with advice and tactical training from the Al-Quaeda in Islamic Magreb and Al-Quaeda in Arabian Penninsula, had decided to change its usual style by recruiting underaged and undergraduates, who could be used in intelligence gathering and also help to penetrate some high-capacity targets.

Sources confirmed that the arrest of eight of such recruits recently exposed the sect’s plot.

“The Boko Haram sect is really bent on carrying out some dastardly operations, especially in Abuja. Their targets are the high-profile persons, who could easily get them news headlines. Right now, they are changing their outlook from the Arab dressing pattern with heavy beards to the clean shaven European styles,” a source confirmed, adding that the arrest of eight recruits recently gave the security agencies the lead.

The source further confirmed that the Federal Government was already in possession of details of some planned operations, following the interrogation of the arrested persons.
It was confirmed that four of the suspects were arrested in Maiduguri, two in Minna, Niger State and two in Yobe.

“The distinct mode of operation here is that these people are educated. Some of them are undergraduates, whose ages range from 14 to 16. There are also some minors among those arrested and the style is believed to be catch them young,” the source further stated.

It was also confirmed that the red alert issued by the United States of America recently was not totally out of order but that the Nigerian authorities were unhappy that the alert was made public despite the fact that measures had been taken to forestall the planned acts.

“The alert has been there for months and if you check things out, the security agencies have taken steps to protect the major hotels long before the alerts came. It came as an embarrassment to Nigeria because the government felt it had done what it needed to do to protect life and property, especially within the Federal Capital,” another source said.

Meanwhile, officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, on Thursday, intercepted a cache of abandoned arms and ammunition in the strong room of the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Limited (NAHCO).

According to the Customs Area Comptroller of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, Michael Adewole, the inventory of the abandoned arms and ammunition include six double-barrel guns, one single-barrel, one pump action, one Uzzi, two magazines, one Barretta pistol as well as one Becheverria pistol.

The comptroller listed the ammunition to include 20 pieces of 5.56 mm calibre, 19 cartridges, 500 pieces of blank armour and a sealed box of cartridges.

He listed the servicing accessories to include four pieces of pull trough, two brushes, oil rifle bag as well as a sling colt belt.

The customs officials were able to impound the weapons following a tip-off they got that some unidentified persons abandoned the arms at the strongroom of NAHCO.
Adewole said that the customs decided to carry out the exercise as part of its mandate at improving security around the airport.

He, however, said customs had commenced investigations with a view to ascertaining the identities of those behind the importation of the weapons.

The arms have been taken to the customs warehouse to enable the police to carry out their investigations.


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