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Police Authorities Investigate Claims Of Boko Haram's Presence, Sleeper Cells Across Lagos

November 11, 2021

State Commissioner for Police, Hakeem Odumosu disclosed this while responding to questions from journalists at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Wednesday evening.

The Lagos State Police Command says it is investigating claims of sleeper cells for alleged repentant Boko Haram members across the state.

State Commissioner for Police, Hakeem Odumosu disclosed this while responding to questions from journalists at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Wednesday evening.

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Odumosu said there was an intelligence report to the effect that fleeing Boko Haram suspects were hiding in sleeper cells located across the state.

He said the police would not dismiss the intelligence until investigations were concluded.

“Yes, there is an intelligence report to that effect. We are not foreclosing it and cannot confirm it either. What I can tell you now is that security agencies are currently investigating it,” Odumosu said.

“There is a joint security effort to ensure that if true, wherever they are located in the state, they are fished out and the suspects apprehended. So, Lagosians should not panic because all the security agencies in the state are collaborating to ensure that peace and security are maintained.”

In 2018, a notorious Boko Haram commander, Abdulmalik Umar was arrested in Lagos.

Umar was said to have been responsible for the death of more than 200 people.

He was arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IG) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) around Mowe at a nurse’s house where he was receiving treatment for the bullet wounds he sustained during a recent gun battle with the police in Abuja.

He was said to have played roles in the explosions that rocked Nyanya and Kuje in Abuja, in 2015.

Umar was also accused of leading a gang that killed seven police officers at Gwagwalada, Abuja and of being the mastermind of bank heists mostly in the southern part of the country.