IT was a defeat of the power of evil
secrecy Thursday as security agents
arrested a suspected female suicide
bomber who would have blown up the
General Shuwa Memorial Hospital,
Maiduguri and killed the health
workers and the patients they labour
hard to treat.
The suspected bomber, a fairly old
woman, who was said to have been
confronted first by the hospital’s
security guards, was arrested after it
was discovered that she hid an
Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in a
food flask she was carrying.
According to the hospital authorities,
the suspected terrorist disguised as a
relation of a female patient who had
come to present food at the maternity
ward. But when she was stopped at the
gate to open the two food flasks she was
carrying before she could be allowed to
proceed to the ward, she refused to
open one of the flasks.
One of the hospital’s security guards
narrated the story to journalists:
“When
she was asked to open the other flask,
she refused, swearing that she will not
open it. Our security guards have to call
the soldiers at a military post to
ascertain whether or not the flask
contains any explosive. Three minutes
after, the bomb detector beeped for
some seconds, indicating the presence
of an explosive device, and the old
woman was immediately whisked way
by the military personnel to an
unknown destination for further
interrogation and investigation.”
On the identity of the suspect, he said
that when the woman was asked about
her place of residence, she responded
that: “I am an old woman from Chibok
town, and I wanted to deliver food to
one of my relations admitted here in
this hospital.”
Three hours after the arrest of the
suspect, members of the Civilian Joint
Task Force (CJTF) patrolling the airport
road also arrested two Boko Haram
suspects near the Nigerian Air Force
(NAF) base and the Airport Roundabout
by 2.31pm.
“The two suspects boarded a tricycle
and taxi from the Tashan Journey near
the 333 Nigerian Army Artillery, before
they were intercepted by our members
here at this check point in Gomari
ward. They attempted fleeing, but we
had to stop them from fleeing from the
vehicles, and God was on our side to
recover a rifle and a pistol hidden under
their jeans pants,” said Yusuf Bala,
brandishing a cutlass that assisted him
in the arrests.
He said the fleeing Boko Haram
insurgents from last Monday’s attacks in
Damaturu, are infiltrating Maiduguri to
hide and possible launch attacks in the
metropolis.
“Our job was to patrol all the nooks and
crannies of Maiduguri with stop and
search of all vehicles moving in and out
of this city. These arrested suspects had
been handed over to soldiers in our
sector for further interrogations and
investigation,” said Bala.
A source in the Borno State Police
Command also yesterday told The
Guardian that two terror suspects were
arrested by the CJTF in Gomari ward,
including an old woman allegedly
carrying explosives in a food flask at
one of the hospitals in Government
Reservation Area (GRA), Maiduguri.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of
All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief
John Oyegun has attributed the nation’s
security challenges to the failure of the
PDP-led Federal Government to provide
purposeful leadership.
He said insurgence were left unchecked
for several years which eventually turn
the northern part of the country to a
warfare field expressed regret that the
country could hardly boast of quality
chain of intelligence gathering to
counter unabated restiveness.
Oyegun who led the national leadership
of the APC on condole visit to governor
Rabiu Musa Owankwaso over last Friday
multiple attacks on the Kano Central
Mosque, announced donation of N5
million to Kano State to assist the
victims of the attack.
He alleged that those who are entrusted
with the protection of lives and
properties are acting in a way and
manner that can be described as
connivance.
Source:- Ngr Guardian News
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