Africa

Home page

Africa

Nigeria arrests father of suspected mastermind of bus station bombing

15 May 2014 19:49 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Nigerian government Thursday announced the arrest of retired Col. Agene Ogwuche, father of co- masterminds behind bus station bombings in the capital city of Abuja that killed over 70 and injured many others, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Marylyn Ogar, spokesperson for the Department of State Security Services (SSS) disclosed this at a regular media briefing in Abuja, Nigeria's capital city, saying the diplomatic paperwork to repatriate one of the co-masterminds behind the bus station bombings, Abubakar Sadiq Ogwuche, from Sudan is being concluded.

Abubakar Sadiq Ogwuche has been arrested by the Interpol in Sudan and would be soon extradited to Nigeria for interrogation and prosecution, said the government spokesperson Mike Omeri on earlier Wednesday.

His was taken in because he breached the bond, which he signed while taking his son's bail in 2012, Ogar told reporters.

Abubakar Sadiq Ogwuche, a British-born Nigerian was arrested on Nov. 12, 2011 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from the UK on terrorism related charges but was released on Oct. 15, 2012, following intense pressure from human rights activists, who alleged human rights violation.

On his part, Nigeria's police spokesperson,Frank Mba said the retired military colonel would be made to answer for his inability to meet the bail bond which he signed pledging to produce his son when needed for questioning.

A reward of 153,000 U.S. dollars was offered for information leading to the arrest of Ogwuche and another man, Rufai Abubakar Tsiga, both suspected members of Boko Haram. The other suspected mastermind, Tsiga, is yet to be apprehended.

Nigeria's Boko Haram sect has claimed responsibility for the deadly explosion at a crowded bus station in Abuja that killed at least 75 people.

Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram which has been responsible for major killings in Nigeria since 2009, said in a video message that the network was behind the bomb attack in Abuja.

Proved to be the biggest security challenge in the West African country, Boko Haram seeks to enshrine the Islamic Sharia law into the constitution and declared war against Western education.