By Deborah Nnamdi
The Ondo State Police Command has foiled a planned bomb attack in Akure, the state capital, leading to the arrest of six suspects linked to the plot.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Lawal Adebowale, disclosed this during a press briefing on Thursday in Akure, describing the operation as a breakthrough in the command’s fight against crime.
According to him, the suspects — Adekunle Prosper (56), Ojo Olumide (39), Tope Kolawole (40), Ahmed Salihu (40), Bolaji Adebowale (46), and Gbadebo Abidemi (43) — were apprehended on April 15 following credible intelligence on the activities of a criminal syndicate operating within and beyond Ondo State.
Adebowale said operatives were swiftly deployed to a location in Akure, where the suspects were arrested before they could execute the planned attack.
“The command recorded a major operational breakthrough with the successful foiling of a planned bomb attack in Akure,” he said, adding that materials suspected to be components for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered during the operation.
Items recovered from the suspects include 217 bottles, a bag of sugar, criminal charms, and 17 mobile phones. Further searches at their apartment yielded N187,000, two HP laptops, eight slings, a knife, an external hard drive, two identity cards, a National Identity Number (NIN) card, and two motorcycles.
The police commissioner revealed that preliminary investigations indicate some of the materials were intended for the construction of explosive devices, while others were used to support coordinated criminal activities.
He also disclosed that the suspects had recently rented an apartment in the Oke-Odu area of Akure, which served as their operational base.
According to Adebowale, a document detailing potential target locations was also recovered, suggesting a well-coordinated and premeditated plan targeting government infrastructure, with possible links extending beyond the state.
He noted that the timely intervention of the police averted what could have resulted in significant loss of lives and widespread destruction of property.
