Weapons: rocket launchers, grenades bound for Plateau

[EMTL]

Assalamu alaikum,
The Plateau people are actually getting ready of a WAR......... The amount of money involved in the purchase of these weapons could not have come from individuals.

SSS displays rocket launchers, grenades bound for Plateau, Taraba Thursday, 19 August 2010 02:18 Isa Umar Gusau, Maiduguri   
Emmanuel with Weapons
The State Security Service yesterday in Maiduguri paraded Jos and Taraba bound suspects with their deadly weapons, including rocket launchers, grenades and dozens of AK 47 rifles.

The suspects, were also found with N4.8m concealed in a boot of a Mercedes benz they were travelling in.

Amos Akila, Daniel Chayi Gyang, Mbono Musa and Yakubu Sule were ferrying the deadly arsenal to Jos, where a spiral of sectarian violence has left hundreds dead since the beginning of the year.

At the moment, thousands of security forces were deployed in Jos and environs where a cold peace is currently holding.

The suspects were paraded before newsmen at the Maiduguri headquarters of the SSS. Among them was one Ilesha Emmanuel who was allegedly trying to ship some of the AK 47 riffles and a general purpose machine gun to Wukari, Taraba State, another volatile area susceptible to religious and tribal clashes.

The weapons were concealed in a station wagon taxi loaded beneath sacks of smoked fish.

The arrests were made based on intelligence and painstaking operation that lasted for some time.

Daily Trust also confirmed that four and not six men were arrested as earlier reported. Also, a total of 31 AK 47 riffles were recovered from the suspects out of which Ilesha had 24. Over 600 round of ammunitions were also recovered.

The Jos bound suspects were arrested on July 30, while the one going to Wukari was nabbed on August 12.

State director of the SSS, Abdullahi Ahmed, who paraded the suspect said Amos Akila was arrested in 2009 for similar offence in Kaduna and prosecuted, but was freed before his recent capture in Maiduguri . He said investigations were coninuing.

Akila, 29, told Daily Trust that he hails from Taraba state and that he resides in Cameroon engaged in business. He said one Yusuf sent the weapons to him from Cameroon to hand over to one Jauro who lives in Jos, but that the weapons were to be handed over in Bauchi.

Asked about the whereabouts of the man, he said he didn't know his house. He also couldn't explain how they came to possess the  money found with them.

"We were taking the guns to one Jauro who was going to come to Bauchi to collect them. We were  going to be informed about where he was to collect the guns. I am not a driver but I was the person to drive the car, which belongs to Jauro. I am from Taraba state, I am a fish farmer in Cameroon ; I ply my trade in Cameroon . Someone sent the consignment from Cameroon and I went to collect them. I was just arriving at the house with the consignment when I met the security operatives. I do not know where the guns are to be taken to but Jauro asked us to meet him in Bauchi. I don't know where Jauro resides but we met at Mararaban Jos in Plateau State " Akila said.

Daniel Chayi Gyang, 53, said he is a civil servant in Riyom, Jos south and that he came to Maiduguri for a three day "sight seeing" and that before he came he left his car with a panel-beater for repairs. He said one Abubakar, whom he met in Maraban Jema'a in Jos, told him that Amos Akila (the suspected ring leader) was coming to Maiduguri with his car (the Mercedes benz) but decided to travel with Akila.

He said on July, 30, Akila picked him up in the hotel and they drove to one house in Maiduguri. He said that while in the house, some people came and  knocked at the door. He asked Akila if he was expecting any one. But upon opening the gate,  SSS men appeared and began searching the house. He said that he was not aware of the weapons in the house.

Another suspect, Yakubu Sule, 25, who said he is from Taraba state and a  400 level student of Sociology in University of Maiduguri, said that he has known Akila since three years. He said he was in the house with the other men when the SSS came in and began to search the place  and weapons were found in the house.

He said he wasn't aware the weapons were there. "I came to the house last Friday. And I called him and told him that I want the house. I am a 400 level Sociology student of the University of Maiduguri. I have known Akila for the past three years now. We were not going out for robbery. I had just had my bath and was going to leave for school. I do not know where they were heading to, Akila called me and I came to the house" he said.

The other suspect, Mbono Musa, said he is also from Taraba state and a 400 level student of creative arts in University of Maiduguri.

Daily Trust could not confirm by press time from authorities of the University of Maiduguri if the suspects are students of the institution. The Chief Information officer of the university Mohammed Ahmed promised that he would find out and confirm today.

Security sources however said the four men were actually arrested the Mercedes   while heading to Jos from the house in Maiduguri with all of them seated in the car.

In the case of Ilesha Emmanuel, he said he is a driver resident in Ibi local government of Taraba state and married with 12 children. He said the riffles belonged to one Josiah Awori in Wukari who chartered his station wagon.

He said he was aware the riffles were concealed in his car when he left Maiduguri last Thursday. He said he told the owner that he could fall into trouble but the owner assured he should not worry.

Security sources said the four women on board who loaded the vehicle with dry fish, heading to Wukari along with Emmanuel were allowed to go because preliminary investigations showed they were not connected with fire arms. The SSS officials however said that investigations were still on.