Alleged Terrorist Attempt to Blow Up Calabar-Itu Head Bridge Foiled

At attempt by aggrieved militants to blow up the major bridge that links Akwa Ibom and Cross River States has been foiled by security operatives in Akwa Ibom State.

The bridge links Itu and Odukpani local government areas of Akwa Ibom and Cross River State respectively and is popularly called Calabar-Itu Head Bridge.

Three suspects have been arrested and items recovered from them included six super power 90 explosives, five blasting laps, three rolls of detonating cords, one bundle of extra detonating cord, and one Honda Accord 1997 model.

Those arrested in connection with the planned bombing of the bridge were Boronyefa Olorogun alias General Bofa from Rivers State; Samuel Coleman Yaw, a Ghanaian resident in Bakassi LGA of Cross River State, and Monday Anthony of Ikang village still in Bakassi LGA.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Gabriel Achong, who paraded the suspects at the State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan-abia, said the arrest was made possible through intelligence report received on plans by the aggrieved militants to blow up the bridge.

Describing the incident as an attempted terrorist attack, the Police Commissioner revealed that on September 20, the State Police Command received information that a group of aggrieved militants planned to blow up the Calabar/Itu bridge.

According to him, upon thorough and intensive surveillance, on October 5, two suspects were arrested after being trailed from Odukpani, Cross River State axis to the Calabar-Itu bridge while the mastermind escaped.

Achong explained that for three weeks a combined team of the Army, Police and SSS had maintained surveillance on the bridge until the suspects were arrested when coming to finally plant the explosive.

“The mastermind, Boronyefa Olorogun alias General Bofa escaped but after a thorough and rigorous search by combined team of Police and Directorate of State Service (DSS), the suspect was traced and arrested in Yanagoa, Beyelsa state on October 17,” he said.

Stressing the need for members of the public to volunteer useful information on crime prevention and detection in the society, the State Police Boss said without the information earlier given to security operative it would have been another thing if the militants had succeeded in blowing up the bridge.

 

Source:

ThisDay Newspaper