IGHT foreigners are now in security custody in connection with Thursday’s bomb explosions at Nyanya, near Abuja, the Defence Headquarters said yesterday.
It also confirmed that it foiled insurgents’ attacks on Margimari village and other settlements on the outskirts of Maiduguri early yesterday.
The DHQ insisted that neither Maiduguri nor University of Maiduguri was attacked as rumoured in some quarters.
The Director of Defence Information, Gen. Chris Olukolade, who gave the update in a statement in Abuja, said the suspects were helping ongoing probe of the blasts.
He said the arrested persons are helping ongoing investigation with useful information after the operation which is sequel to intelligence reports.
They were picked up around Kugbo and areas adjoining the Nyanya site of the recent bombings in the Federal Capital.
“Those confirmed to constitute threat to security will be handed over to appropriate prosecutorial agency on conclusion of the preliminary investigations,”he said.
However ,a source said the arrested foreigners are from Cameroun and Niger Republic.
“They are already being quizzed at a detention facility which for security reasons we cannot disclose,” the source said .
It was gathered that fingerprint scanning on the suspects confirmed traces of IED in their hands.
“The ongoing grilling of the suspects may provide more clues on the blast in Nyanya.”
One more victim of the Nyanya bomb blast has died,bringing the death toll to 20.
The victim,whose identity was not immediately known died at the Asokoro Hospital.
Fourteen of those injured and receiving treatment in various hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory have already been discharged.
An unknown number of people who were injured were said to have opted to take care of theri treatment.
Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu and Minister of State Khaliru Alhassan visited the hospitals yesterday to monitor interact with the injured.
They visited Asokoro Hopsital, Nyanya Hopsital, Maitama, Wuse and Gwarinpa Hospital.
Speaking at the end of their visit, both minister expressed satisfaction at their improvement in the health of the patients.
Meanwhile, Gen Olukolade also yesterday dismissed reports of an attack on Maiduguri yesterday, saying:”Rather, on receiving distress call, troops at about 2am this morning (yesterday) launched a counter attack using mainly mortar shells on a group of terrorists who had attacked and killed four persons in Margimari village and other settlements in the outskirts of Maiduguri.
“There was no fighting or attack around the University or any barrack in Maiduguri either, as reported.”
He also said that a Chadian, Usman Mecheka operating with the terrorists group around Lake Chad has been taken into custody by the Multi National Joint Task Force.
He was apprehended by the Task Force while trying to extract a ransom from herdsmen and farmers in the area, after an earlier attack on the community.
Troops of the Special Task Force in the Plateau have also raided a camp maintained by an armed gang operating in a settlement in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.
“A gun fabricating machine as well as some arms and ammunition from the hideout were recovered during the raid. Also recovered during the raid, were local single barrel guns, pistols, an automatic rifle, bullet pellets and a large quantity of materials for producing gun powder,” he said.
via nigerianeye
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