Boko Haram : Plot to shoot down Jonathan’s plane foiled

Massive arms including anti-aircraft guns, rocket propelled grenades recovered after visit to Borno…
It would have been a national tragedy had it occurred. But, according to intelligence sources, security agencies saved the situation.

The story is that insurgents allegedly planned to attack the plane of President Goodluck Jonathan while flying into Maiduguri, Borno State capital, on Thursday for his two-day visit.

Borno is the hotbet of the Islamist group, Boko Haram.

The alleged recovery of three anti-aircraft guns, two technical vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft stands and 10 rocket propelled grenades, in a cache of arms, in Maiduguri, on Friday, lent credence to the claim of the plot to attack the president’s plane.

Besides the anti-aircraft guns and rocket propelled grenades, the massive arms the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Maiduguri, the day the president left the state capital after the visit, include 17 AK rifles, general purpose machine guns, three G3 rifles, 20 RPG bombs, 12 RPG chargers, 1 x 36 ,hand held grenades, one tear gas rifle, 33 AK 47 magazines, 11 FN magazines, three G 3 magazines and 11,068 assorted ammunitions.

The twist to the story, however, is the claim by some security sources that the Islamist group had hoped that the entire security apparatus in Borno would be diverted for the president’s visit, to enable it deploy the massive arms to also attack the facilities where its members are being held in the state with a view to setting them free.

Whatever may have been the Islamist group’s plan, security agencies alleged that close monitoring foiled it.

Spokesman for the JTF in Borno State, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, in a statement emailed to journalists, yesterday, hinted that intelligence by informants led to the foiling of the insurgents alleged plan.

Read full article : Vanguard