SSS say Nigerienne confesses to masterminding Suleja bombings

“Security personnel also discovered a bomb factory in Niger State.” 

The State Security Services say they have in custody six suspects, led by a Nigerienne, who have confessed to masterminding the Suleja bombings.

In a statement by the SSS on Tuesday, investigations that led to the arrest and subsequent confession by the suspects followed the 8 April, 2011 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Suleja office bombing and the 10 July, 2011 All Christians Fellowship Church, Suleja, Niger State bombings.

“On 4th August, 2011, a suspect who is a Nigerienne national was apprehended in connection with the bombing incident in Suleja,” the statement said.

Although the service did not give the name of the suspect, they said he admitted the bombings and also confessed membership of the Boko Haram sect. “His confession led to the arrest of a thirty-one (31) year old indigene of Imo State who converted to Islam in 2003,” the statement said.

“The second suspect, who is born of a Nigerienne mother, was brought up in Niger Republic, where he had his early education. He also admitted to being a member of the Boko Haram sect as well as having worked in concert with a third suspect from Kano State to carry out attacks in Suleja. Their confessions led to further arrest of two accomplices from Borno State.”

But an investigation of the service revealed the suspects belonged to a Boko Haram cell operating in the Suleja-Abuja axis. The suspects are inaccessible at the moment but the SSS said they “will soon be charged to court.”

The statement added that the five suspects all confessed that the main supplier of the explosive materials used for their bombing operations is a miner from Nasarawa State. The miner was “eventually arrested on 30th August, 2011.”

In addition to the bombings and their membership of the Boko Haram sect, the Service said the suspects also confessed that they took part in the killing of four police officers at a check-point at Dakwa-Deidei, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory on 22nd May, 2011.

“Meanwhile, a nondescript building where the Improvised Explosive Devices are assembled has been uncovered at an area popularly known as Chechnya, Hayin-Uku Village in Tafa LGA, Niger State,” Marylyn Ogar, the service’s spokesman added.

Items the SSS listed were recovered from the building include gas cylinder, one battery connected to a detonator, damaged detonators, laptop computers, some pieces of shrapnel, and ceiling fan coil.

-By Emsaro Pedro 

Source: DailyTimes