Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
Police in Maiduguri, Borno State, are on the manhunt for three female suicide bombers, the state Police Commissioner, Damian Chukwu, said yesterday.
The commissioner also said a vibrant young politician in the state, Grema Terab, at whose residence a man was allegedly stabbed to death during a political meeting at the weekend, should report to the state police headquarters.
Chukwu said the politician, who was the pioneer Chairman of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (BOSEMA), was denied security at his residence and was equally advised to take the political meeting to a public facility after he brought a letter of notice to the police.
The state police boss lamented that the politician went against the advice, had the meeting at his residence which later ended in fracas with a man stabbed to death.
He said: “Grema Terab sent a letter informing the police of the proposed meeting at his residence, and asked for police security.â€
He said though the letter was signed by him, it was on the letter head with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) logo, which made the police to believe it was a political gathering that was not fit to be held at a private residence.
Chukwu said he was immediately advised to take the meeting to a public facility to qualify for security protection and to forestall outbreak of law and order.
He said the politician, instead of heeding the advice, changed tune and told the police that he was just holding a family meeting.
The state police boss said the politician went ahead to hold the meeting which was massively attended and where he made many inciting statements.
He said he had infiltrated the rank of guests at the meeting with detectives and got to know of the killing and he subsequently call for arrest of those at the meeting.
He said over twenty persons have been arrested but the convener of the meeting, Terab, at whose residence the killing happened, has not been seen since then.
The commissioner, who said investigations have been opened into the killing, asked Terab to report to the state police command.
On the manhunt for the suicide bombers, Chukwu said at about 0650hrs, a female suicide bomber was sighted behind Bakassi IDP camp in Maiduguri metropolis.
“On sighting the bomber, conventional policemen alongside their EOD counterparts swung into action and cordoned off the area to prevent escape of the bomber into the city.
“As a result, the suspect, one Zara Idris, was rendered safe, arrested and is now held in custody,†he stated
Chukwu said during interrogation, Zara Idris, who is about 13 years old, revealed that four of them were dropped along Mule, an outskirts of Maiduguri, and that three other bomb couriers were still in the town.
The CP, who praised the residents for their vigilance in the capture of Idris, said a manhunt was on for the three other suicide bombers still at large.
