Police arrest three suspects in Rivers over detonation of explosive in church
RIVERS State Police Command, at the weekend, confirmed the arrest of three suspects, who allegedly detonated a dynamite at the Christian Universal Church International in Diobu, Port Harcourt.
The Guardian learnt that masked hoodlums entered the Church, believed to be Governor Nyesom Wike’s Father’s Church on Saturday night and detonated explosive, which shattered part of the building.
The incident caused pandemonium with people scampering for safety in the area, as Diobu youths ran to the Church on noticing the development and arrested three suspects, while others fled.
One of the youths, who sustained serious injury, is currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
Assistant Chief Security Officer of Azikiwe Street, Collins Johnbull, said: “On Saturday night, we saw five men entering the church at about 9pm but we thought they were church members “After some time, we heard the sound of a dynamite and we saw the masked hoodlums running out with guns. My men and I mobilised immediately to the church and arrested three of the suspects after which we called the police and handed over the suspects.”
Another security personnel, Uche Brown, pleaded with Governor Wike for assistance to pay the victim’s medical bills.
The Guardian observed heavy presence of security personnel in Diobu area as operatives of Eagle Crack, an outfit of the state police command, Mopol 19 and other security agencies have taken over the area.
State Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incident, said the Command’s Bomb Unit had visited the scene and evacuated the residues of the explosive.
He added that some engineers have also gone to the scene to carry out integrity test to ensure that the building was still safe. “Normalcy has returned to the area, people are going about their normal duties and the three suspects are cooperating and helping with information that would lead to the arrest of other suspects,” he added.