Police Arrest Prime Suspect In Taraba Bombings

Taraba State police command has paraded a 45-year-old suspected bomb maker linked with the recent three bomb explosions in the state.

The explosions were recorded at Iware in Ardo-Kola local government area, Nunkai and Army Brigade in Jalingo, the state capital.

The state commissioner of police, Abimbola Shokoya, who briefed journalists yesterday in Jalingo, said the suspect, Bala Usman, who is also a Boko Haram member, was arrested by the police at Tela in Gasol local area of Taraba.

“On 9th June, 2022, at about 2100, one Bala Usman of Tela town in Gasol local government area who armed himself with a pistol scopion loaded with seven rounds of live ammunition went to the house of Usman Yaki of Gunduma village via Mutum-Biu to kill him.

“The suspect fired one round of the ammunition, police were alerted. The police in collaboration with vigilante got the suspect subdued and arrested.

“During the course of investigation, the suspect confessed that he is a member of Boko Haram, armed robber and kidnapping syndicate that terrorise Niger, Kogi, and Taraba states.

“However, a search was conducted in his house at Tela town and 198 pieces of 7.6MM live ammunition, 558 assault live ammunition, one pistol Breech No. C2 999 scorpion with six rounds of ammunition, 20 plastic bottles of sodium azide acid were found in the house.

“Other items that were found in the house were eight plastic bottles of Kermi Acid, 27 plastic bottles of locally-made bombs, three facemasks, three pullover jackets, a bunch of cable wire, six lighters, two empty magazines of AK-47 and 47 rifles.”

He said the police were making concerted efforts to arrest Abubakar Lawal and Abdulahi Garba in connection with the incident. He said the two were at large.

Shokoya called the members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspected persons to the police.