4 NIGERIENS, 2 NIGERIANS PARADED OVER KADUNA BOMB BLAST

Four nationales of Niger Republic and two Nigerians, all youths, were yesterday paraded by the Kaduna State Police Command as suspects in the two bomb blasts that rocked Kabala West in Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State and Magajin Gari Sharia Court 1 attached to Kaduna North Local Government Area Secretariat in the metropolis few hours after the presidential election in April.

According to the police commissioner, the second explosion which took place near the high profile public  gathering place around 10:30 that night at Magajin Gari Sharia Court, was a powerful bomb that could have killed hundreds if it had been detonated at a busy hour. The paraded suspects included Abubakar Abdulazeez, Ja'afaru Abu, Alhaji Samaila Alhassan and Abdullahi Sulaiman who claimed to be Niger Republic nationales, as well as one Shuaibu Abdullahi from Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State and a 16-year-old student of Kufena Science Secondary School, Mohammed Hari, who also claimed to be a native of Kaduna State.

Parading the suspects whose ages ranged between 15-25 years, aside Samaila Alhassan who is above 30 years that was said to have sponsored the dastardly act, Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, deployed for the 2011 elections, Mr. Haruna John said the principal suspect, Abubakar Abdullazeez was arrested at the scene.

The commissioner who said no life was lost at the two scenes, however, said some of the victims who survived it though with injuries were still receiving treatment at undisclosed hospitals.

Daily Sun, located two victims, Ben Manson Mickel and Ekaete Patience who were critically injured and were receiving treatment at the St. Gerrald Hospital in Kaduna.

According to the police commissioner, the Kabala West explosion occurred at the Happy Night Hotel and eight persons who were at the scene of the explosion suffered injuries. He added that by the time the police arrived the scene three of the victims had left the scene to seek treatment, while efforts, according to him, were being made to locate them.

'A suspect, Shaibu Abdullahi of Igabi Local Government Area was seriously injured by the explosion, suspected to be an improvised explosive device and is being treated in a hospital somewhere,' he said.

He, however, told newsmen that police investigations led to the arrest of Mallam Samaila Alhassan believed to have sponsored the dastardly act.

The police boss also disclosed that Alhassan had made useful statements which had provided significant leads for further investigation.

Haruna also disclosed that investigation was ongoing to determine whether the two explosions were by separate persons or syndicated actions, saying that officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Bomb Disposal Squad and the Kabala West Division were on top of the investigation.

He, however, dispelled rumours that lives were lost in the incidents and reassured the public of the security of lives and property in the state, adding that the police would leave no stone unturned in fishing out mischief makers.