Three suspects of Wednesday's bomb explosion that
rocked Iddo community, Okpella in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo
State were paraded by the state Police Command for engaging in the assemblage
of components of Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
Those paraded were identified as Idris Ibrahim, 22;
Zainab Ibrahim and Oyeza Abdul all indigenes of Kogi State.
Idris Ibrahim is a brother to Hassa Abdulmalik, the
main suspect, said to be on the run while Oyesa is his wife.
Abdulmalik escaped through a bush path after
vigilant group blocked him from escaping with his car, a Toyota Corolla saloon
car marked ABC 371 HK.
Their activity was exposed when one of the already
manufactured bombs exploded and killed one Sanusi instantly.
The deafening sound of the bomb caused panic in the
community which led to the searching of the location and recovery of other
explosives.
Parading the suspects on Wednesday at the police
headquarters in Benin City, the Commissioner of Police, Johnson Babatunde
Kokumo, who briefed journalists, said the police anti-bomb squad was called in
to destroy some of the explosives while others were taken away.
Kokumo said the police have identified the police
formation from where the suspects apparently snatched the riot guns and smoke
pistols found in their possession.
He listed items recovered from the suspects to
include one rocket propelled grenade (RPG), one Beretta pistol marked 53101466
with seven rounds of 9mm live ammunition, two riot gunners, four smoke pistols,
23 empty fire extinguisher cylinders, 18 plastic bottles of prepared borne
IEDs, 21 expended smoke cartridges, 17 pieces of pipes-part, two timer clocks,
four remote control panel and four remote control switches, eight nine-volt
batteries, eight live teargas cartridges and two smoke grenades.
Others are two fire extinguisher-borne IEDs, two
electric junction boxes, two gallons of gun powder, one roll of cotton wool,
five empty cans of insecticide, one pair of scissors, 20 small cans of assorted
chemicals, three hydrometers used in measuring potency of the IEDs, eight
pipettes tubes, two 50ml bottles of highly inflammable chemicals, three small
bottles of highly inflammable chemicals, half bag of potassium nitrate, 65
litres of potassium nitrate, 200 grams of carbide and 30 pieces of syringes and
needles.
Ibrahim, brother to the main suspect, who spoke to journalists,
denied being a member of the gang.
He said he wanted to run away when he discovered
that his brother was making explosives.
Ibrahim stated that he saw his brother taking away
some explosives to a place he didn't know.
He said he came to Edo State because his brother
promised to open a shop for him.
According to him, "I am from Okenne in Kogi
State. I was born and schooled in Lagos State. I learnt welding. My brother
told me that after I finished my work, he would open shop for me. That was why
I came to Edo State.
"I was not the one with explosives. It was my
brother. I was never at home. I used to go to Auchi to look for shops. I was at
home when he asked me to burn gas in his farm because he wanted to harvest
cassava. I told him I could not do it so he asked Sanusi to go and help me.
"I only heard explosion at my back which
resulted to Sanusi’s death. I only know about Sanusi and another man that used
to visit my brother. Sanusi resides at Okpella. They never sent me anywhere. My
brother told me he is a driver. I just discovered that the car belongs to him.
I visited markets not to look for targets to bomb but to search for any empty
shop I can rent
"When I became aware that my brother was manufacturing
explosives, I started looking for ways to leave the house. I ask him about it
and he told me to shut up. He does not do it at home. I learnt about it four
weeks ago. I saw them taking explosives out one day. I do not know where they
took them. He has a secret room which he locked up. Nobody entered the
place."
Wife of the suspect said she wanted to cry out when
she learnt about the explosives.
"My husband is a driver that takes passengers to
and from Abuja. I don't enter the private room in the house. When I learnt
about the explosives and asked him about it, he said he was not the owner or the
manufacturer. I wanted to shout out. I was sleeping when the one that killed
Sanusi exploded."
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