How Police Nabbed Bomb Merchant

THE arrest of a man (name withheld) suspected of supplying bomb-making materials to members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, at the weekend in Maiduguri, may provide further exposure into activities of the sect, even as the Federal Government panel set up to shed light on the violent militant uprising in the Northeast may have indicted some highly placed individuals in the area.

The committee, which submitted its interim report last Thursday, asked for more time (two weeks) to enable it prepare a substantive report.

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FG Panel’s Interim Report Indicts ‘Political Elites’, ‘Traditional Leaders’

A source close to the panel, however, revealed last night that the report indicted certain political elites and traditional leaders in the affected states.

The report, in fact, was said to have linked the post-April election violence in northern parts of the country to the unwholesome activities of some politicians, who, “engaged the youths and miscreants for their selfish interests.”

The source said, “other factors outside religion, particularly the absence of good governance and corrupt tendencies by politicians, fuel the anger of members of Boko Haram”.

Meanwhile, the arrest of the suspected bomb merchant comes at the end of a three-day investigation into last Monday’s attempt by a suicide bomber to blow up the state police headquarters.

Briefing reporters on the arrest, Police Commissioner, Simeon Midenda said: “After the Police followed up on clues, detectives were successful in tracing the source of the explosives used in the attempt to blow up the state Police headquarters to a chemical store on Bama road, Maiduguri. The owner of the store was arrested and the premises sealed.”

He said investigations revealed that 13 bottles of aluminum powder, facemasks and hand gloves were procured on August 8 2011, by people who sponsored the attempted bombing.

Other documents recovered from the store revealed purchases whose dates coincide with previous bomb blasts in Northern Nigeria, including the October 1, 2011 independence anniversary blast in Abuja.

The Police boss also identified link between the store and blasts in Suleja, Kaduna, Jos, Bauchi, Katsina, and Maiduguri.

On the identity of the suspect, he said: “We cannot disclose to you the name of this prime suspect, because it will jeopardise investigations.”

Other materials recovered from the store, are 29 bottles of assorted bomb-making materials and two jerry cans of acid capable of facilitating detonation of improvised explosives.

Midenda appealed to residents to support the Police by providing useful information on the hideout and mode of operations of sect members.

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