HEZBOLLAH’S ARMOURY UNCOVERED IN KANO: Suspects claim weapons were meant to fight Israeli, Western interests in Nigeria

NIGERIA’S security services, on Thursday, said they had discovered a home in Kano, where Lebanese nationals had stored weapons intended to attack Israeli and Western targets in Nigeria. The Kano State Director of State Security Service (SSS), Bassey Etang and a separate military statement described the compound as hosting a “terrorist cell” tied to the  Lebanese Shiite movement, Hezbollah. No evidence was provided linking the home to the Lebanese group. Journalists were brought to the compound in the upmarket Bompai neighbourhood of Kano and taken to a bunker dug beneath a bedroom where weapons had allegedly been stored. “The weapons include anti-tank weapons, rocket propelled guns, anti-tank (and) antipersonnel mines, among other dangerous weapons,” the military statement said.

It said three Lebanese nationals had been arrested in connection with the illegal arms cache, while a fourth suspect was at large.

“This is the handiwork of Hezbollah. What has just been discovered is the cell of Hezbollah and what you have seen here is a Hezbollah armoury,” Etang said. “These weapons are meant to be used to target Israeli and Western interests in Nigeria,” he added. According to the SSS chief, “investigations are still ongoing to determine if the Lebanese nationals are really connected to Boko Haram.” The military statement said one suspect, Mustafa Fawaz, was arrested on May 16 and his “confession unveiled other members of the foreign terrorists network.” A second suspect, Abdullah Tahini, was arrested several days later while trying to board a flight to Beirut from the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, according to the military.

The third detained Lebanese national, Talal Roda, was arrested at the Kano home on May 26, while Fauzi Fawad was identified as the suspect at large. Fawaz reportedly owns a leading supermarket as well as an amusement park in Abuja. An employee, who answered a call to a number listed for the amusement park, told AFP that Fawaz had not been in the office this week. The arrests and arms recovery followed a “robust counter terrorism investigation in the past several months,” the military said. It will be recalled that in February, the SSS said it had discovered a militant cell receiving instructions from Iranian agents that had sought to attack Israeli and Western targets in Nigeria. It national spokesman, Marilyn Ogar, said at the time that the group also planned to assassinate Nigeria’s former military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida.

Troops arrest 5 Nigeriens, 2 Chadians
Defence Headquarters, on Thursday, said five Nigeriens and two Chadians were among the fleeing insurgents apprehended by the Special Forces, as the troops continue their pursuit of terrorists dislodged from their bases.The seven were among the nine arrested at Tumbu Gini, a border town with Chad. It said the man suspected to be leading the group escaped with gunshot wounds. Director, Defence Information, Brigadier-General Chris Olukolade, said the message, in which the leadership of the insurgents called for support from Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as other cohorts, to enable them to fight the troops, was a clear confirmation that they were overwhelmed by the military operations.

“The message, which calls for support from Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as other cohorts of the insurgents is clearly a confirmation of the level of pressure which has been brought to bear on the insurgents,” he stated.