The Department of State Services, DSS, has warned residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, of the presence in Abuja of Boko Haram members whose aim is to carry out terrorist attacks.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by Tony Opuiyo, the agency said that the sect has established sleeper cells in the nation’s capital and that their “mandates are to conduct surveillance and carry out subsequent attacks in the FCT.”

The DSS said that it had already arrested some of the terrorist groups’ members who came to Abuja from the insurgency – ridden North east, who want to capitalise on the festive season to carry out attacks on residents.

Many of the insurgents are said to operate under different trades such as driving taxi cabs, selling suya (barbequed beef) and son on to carry out surveillance on possible attack targets in the capital city.

“For instance, on October 29th, 2015, the duo of Muhammed Hassan Idris (a Nigerien) and Baba Abdul Maina were arrested at Panteka area of Apo, Abuja,” the agency said in the statement, adding that several others had snce been arrested.

Others arrested are Sanni Mohammed (aka Kakase) and Ahmed Umaru (aka Mallam; Mallam Hamdi Garne and Ahmed Daubi in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

According to the security agency, Mohammed, who hails from Potiskum, Yobe State, “fled the area following his involvement in coordinated suicide attacks in Yobe, Plateau, Kano and Kaduna States.”

Also, the DSS said that two men, Mohammed Shiwar Abubakar and Musa Ta’ada were arrested at Shoprite Junction in Apo area of Abuja on November 19.

While Abubakar, a citizen of Borno State, operates as a taxi driver, Gwoza-born Ta’ada is said to “operates under the cover of a suya seller at Apo Primary School along Kabusa Road, Abuja.”

“Similarly, on 1st December, 2015, Hassan Abubakar and Mohammed Gwale Mohammed were arrested at Madalla, in Suleja LGA of Niger State following intelligence that they were planning to commence attacks in the FCT after a successful surveillance of the city. Before his arrest, Abubakar was working with other sect members in different parts of the country notably Borno, Yobe, Taraba and Adamawa States. Abubakar was arrested in the house of Mohammed GWALE who claims to be a Federal Civil Servant from Niger State. He (Gwale) has made useful statements which are helping with further investigation,” the DSS stated.

The security outfit therefore warned residents to vigilant during the Yuletide season and report suspicious people to security agencies closest to them.