Monday 4 October 2010

Nigerian police names two suspects believed to be responsible for bombings


Nigerian police has named two suspects, Chima Orlu and Ben Jessy, believed to be responsible for the Independence Day bombings in Abuja. Assistant Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Ojukwu said arrests were made, but gave no further details.

The police confirmed that 10 people were killed and 36 injured, including 11 policemen. Ojukwu said the blasts destroyed six vehicles, damaged 18 "and shattered the glasses of a hotel nearby". He said forensic experts were in the process of checking, "about a hundred vehicles trapped in the vicinity of the blasts to ascertain the make, composition and origin of the explosives", adding that as soon as the examination was over, "the vehicles will be released to their owners and the roads re-opened to normal traffic".

President Goodluck Jonathan said that those behind last Friday's [1st October] attacks will soon be "named and shamed,” before adding that the two suspects are most likely memebers of “a small terrorist group that resides outside Nigeria and was sponsored to carry out the evil act. We are on their trail and will ensure that until they are arrested and brought to book, we will not rest.”

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) was initially thought to be responsible for the attacks, but Jonathan no longer believes that to be the case. Speaking about the matter he said, "we have contacted members of Mend and they say they know nothing about it. Anybody that hides under the umbrella of Mend to carry out those acts will soon be exposed".

Source: All Africa

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