* Shuns questioning by journalists

By WOLE MOSADOMI, MINNA

Barely 48 hours after a bomb explosion rocked a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally in Suleja, Niger State, leaving about 10 persons dead and 28 others injured, security agencies, yesterday, seemed close to unravelling the mystery surrounding the incident.

A suspect was arrested with two metallic objects believed to be bomb explosives some kilometres away from Suleja, the scene of the blast.

The arrest was effected by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) officials who stopped the vehicle in which the suspect was commutting, searched his luggage on the suspicion that he may be carrying Indian hemp, and found the metallic items.

Rescue operation for one of the victims of the bomb explosion.

The NDLEA officials were operating at a checkpoint at the outskirts of New Wuse Town in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State, along Abuja-Kaduna Road when they arrested the suspect.

The suspect, a 32-year old man identified as Zakariyahu Garba, was handed over to the police after preliminary interrogation by the NDLEA.

Also found in the suspect’s luggage were dry cell batteries.

Journalists efforts to get him to answer questions on the items found on him when he was paraded by the NDLEA in Minna, yesterday, proved abortive as he parried all the questions.

The suspect claimed he could not speak or hear English but also failed to answer questions put to him in Hausa.

Addressing journalists on the arrest, Niger State Commander of the NDLEA, Alhaji Abdullahi Abdul, said the man, who claimed to be a Kaduna-based trader, was heading towards Kaduna in a bus along with 17 other passengers when his men stopped the bus for a routine check.

The aim of the NDLEA officers was to screen the passengers for Indian hemp but ended discovering something more suspicious wrapped in a black nylon.

While other passengers were said to have subjected themselves to the routine check, the suspect reportedly proved reluctant to cooperate with the NDLEA men and this gave room for suspicion by the security men.

After a hot argument and delay by the suspect, the nylon was finally searched and the suspected explosives and the dry cell batteries found neatly packed.

As soon as the explosives were found, the Minna head office of the NDLEA was contacted and a directive given for the bus and the occupants to be taken back to Minna for investigation.
Among the other commuters were five women, out of which were three nursing mothers, and 12 men.

During investigation in Minna by the NDLEA, some incriminating text messages were said to have been found on the GSM phone of the suspect but which were not disclosed to journalists in order not to jeopardize investigation.

The driver of the bus conveying the suspect and other passengers explained that he was not aware of the suspected bombs carried by the suspect, adding that the suspect and other passengers were picked in Madalla town, few kilometers to Suleja.

The NDLEA boss said the case had been transferred to Niger State police command after preliminary investigation by his office.

One of the senior police officers in the state told journalists that the suspected explosives would be carefully examined by bomb experts as further investigation continues.