Police thwart attempt to bomb Ondo government facilities, arrest six

The Ondo State Police Command has disrupted an alleged plan to attack government facilities in Akure and other parts of the state using improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Six suspects were arrested during the operation, alongside materials believed to be linked to bomb-making activities.

Commissioner of Police Adebowale Lawal said the suspects were tracked following intelligence that they had entered the state and surveyed intended targets. Police operatives were then deployed to the identified locations, leading to their arrest before the planned attacks could be carried out.

The suspects were identified as Adekunle Prosper (56), Ojo Olumide (39), Tope Kolawole (40), Ahmed Salihu (40), Bolaji Adebowale (46), and Gbadebo Abidemi (43).

Lawal disclosed that a search of the scene and a follow-up operation at the suspects’ residence led to the recovery of multiple items. These include 217 bottles, a bag of sugar, 17 mobile phones, ₦187,000 in cash, two HP laptops, eight slings, a knife, an external hard drive, two identity cards, a National Identification Number card, and two motorcycles, among others.

He said investigators believe some of the recovered materials were intended for assembling explosive devices, while others may have supported coordinated criminal activity.

According to preliminary findings, the group was actively involved in preparing IEDs allegedly meant for use against government infrastructure, with indications that their activities could extend beyond Akure to other parts of the country.