Police Parade Suspected Masterminds of Edo Bomb Explosion

Three suspects of yesterday 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 yesterday 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 extinguisherborne 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.”