A very bloody Easter in Nigeria may have been averted by the
State Security Service (SSS) following early detection of 60 bombs
believed to have been planted by the Boko Haram Islamist sect. The SSS
Thursday discovered 60 Improvised Explosive Devices planted in different
locations at the British Cotton Ginnery Area (BCGA) of Gombe town in
Gombe State.
Mr Bitrus Asha, the Gombe State Director
of SSS who called the interception a lucky break, disclosed that his men
had acted on a tip-off and that all the bombs were programmed to go off
on the eve of Good Friday as Christians prepare to mark Easter. The SSS
Director who paraded four suspects over the intended attack disclosed
that one of the bombers managed to escape.
He said:
“We acted on a tip-off; the men were arrested between 12 noon and 1.30
pm. As you can see, there are a lot of explosives numbering about 60
packed in tins and ready for detonation.
“So we are
lucky that the tins were discovered and you are even advised not to go
near the items with your handsets. Very soon, the items will be defused.
We are lucky that we made the discovery.”
The
Gombe State Director of SSS, Bitrus Asha, could not confirm if the 60
bombs discovered in Gombe were manufactured in the state or transported
from a Boko Haram facility elsewhere. He said: “It is too early in the
day to get the full identity of these men; it is only investigations
that will tell us whether they are local recruits of Boko Haram or
people from another state.
"It is clear they never
meant well for citizens of this state but we are on high alert and have
reinforced patrol to avert any untoward incident”.
