A suspected mastermind of the Nyanya bomb blasts, Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, who was on Tuesday declared wanted by the Department of State Services, DSS, and subsequently placed on the international police (Interpol) red alert, has been arrested in faraway Sudan.
The first Nyanya bombing of April 14 left no fewer than 100 people dead and scores more injured. The second killed over 30 and wounded scores of people.
The coordinator of the National Information Centre and director-general of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri, made the arrest known yesterday during a media briefing on the efforts to rescue the abducted Chibok girls.
“Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche has been arrested for his involvement in the Nyanya bombing of April 14. The efforts of the Interpol and the Nigeria Police have led to his arrest in Sudan,” he said.
The deputy director, DSS, Marylin Ogar, in her remarks stated that the suspect had been apprehended in the Sudan and that efforts were being made to bring him back to the country to face justice.
The UK-born Ogwuche, a former lance corporal in the Nigerian Army with Service No. SVC 95/ 104 alongside Rufai Abubakar Tsiga allegedly masterminded the April 14 Nyanya bomb blast.
According to security sources, Ogwuche, the son of a retired colonel in the Nigerian Army, Agene Ogwuche, served in the intelligence unit of the Nigerian Army at Child Avenue, Arakan Barracks in Lagos, between 2001 and 2006. Following his deployment to the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, in 2006, Ogwuche deserted the army.
He was arrested on November 12, 2011, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on his arrival from the United Kingdom for suspected involvement in terrorism-related activities but was released to his father on October 15, 2012, following intense pressure from human rights activists who alleged rights’ violation.
An indigene of Orokam, Ogbadibo LGA, Benue State, Ogwuche studied Arabic Language at the International University of Africa, Sudan.
The SSS had earlier announced a N25 million reward for anyone with information on the wanted suspect.
Meanwhile, LEADERSHIP could not confirm whether Col. Abubakar Sadiq Ogwuche (rtd), the chief security officer of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, is the biological father or a relation of the suspected terrorist.
When our correspondent visited Col. Ogwuche’s office at ABU, he could not meet him. He was said to have travelled to Kaduna for an undisclosed reason.
Several efforts to contact him, including placing many calls to his GSM telephone number, did not yield positive results.
Though Col. Oguche could not also respond to text messages sent to his GSM number as at the time of filing this report, associates told LEADERSHIP that the suspected bomber is a biological son of the ABU’s chief security officer.
“I can confirm to you that Aminu is his son; there is nothing to hide there,” said a source. The management of the ABU kept mum during our correspondent’s inquiry.
LEADERSHIP also learnt that the suspected terrorist’s mother is a Fulani.
Source:
Leadership Newspaper
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