Boko Haram scare: Security agents comb Ogun forest
A combined team of security operatives including men of the Department of State Security (DSS) and the police from Lagos Ogun, and Oyo States, yesterday morning combined the forest of Ogere end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in search of suspected members of the Boko Haram sect.
The search was sequel to a text message that went viral yesterday morning in the three South- western states, alleging that about 20 policemen were shot dead by suspected members of the group.
The search also included police helicopters which provided aerial surveillance patrol for the joint security team who arrived the area as early as 7am.
Hours after the search, top security officials dispelled the alert as a rumour and urged members of the public to go about their businesses without any fear.
Assistant Director, Public Relations of 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Omale Ochaguba, told Daily Trust that the Army authority does not act on rumours, urging members of the public with useful information to avail security operative with it.
Though, he admitted that the Army has tightened security along the Lagos-Ibadan express way, he added that the mass deployment was done soon after the Abuja bomb blast.
“We treat every information with the urgency it deserves. We do not see any information as rumour. We also urge members of the public to avail security personnel with useful information. However, the Nigerian Army has beefed up security. You can see the presence of our men all over; this is as a result of the directive issued by the Nigerian Army authority to all Divisions,” he added.
Addressing newsmen, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Mako, who also dispelled the information as mere rumour, said the incident involved some hoodlums who attempted to attack a truck which spilled its content along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
He said: “A truck containing bags of wheat fell on the Lagos Ibandan expressway spilling its content in the middle of the road. Some hoodlums who had earlier attempted to attack the truck with a view of stealing its contents were chased away by policemen in the area. Those were the people villagers in the area saw and thought that they are suspected members of the Boko Haram sect. When we got the information, we sent our men to protect our own area of responsibility. I tell you with due sense of responsibility that there is no iota of truth in the information.