Nyanya Bomb Blasts: Suspects Confess

The Department of State Security (DSS) has paraded five suspects allegedly linked to the April 14 bomb blasts at Nyanya, on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory which killed over 75 people and left several others injured.

The  five suspects paraded by the DSS are- Ahmad Rufai Abubakar, (43); Muhammadu Sani Ishaq, (30); Yau Saidu, (28); Adamu Yusuf, (43); and Anas Isah, (22).
They all confessed to having played different roles in the preparations leading to the bombing of the Abuja bus station.

At a joint press briefing, the Deputy Director of Public Relations at the DSS, Marilyn Ogar, said the blast was masterminded by one Rufai Abubakar Tsiga, who is said to have been assisted by one Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, a native of Orakam, Ogbadigbo Local Government Area of Benue State, and a student of Arabic Language at the International University of Africa, Sudan. Both men are currently on the run, and have been declared wanted by security agencies. Thus, the DSS has placed a N25 million reward on the two fleeing suspects.

Ogar, said Tsiga, assisted by Ogwuche, drove the explosive laden car to Nyanya bus station, the scene of the blasts a day to the incident. He was said to have left the car there overnight, and went back to detonate the explosives in the early morning of April 14.

The DSS said Tsiga used to run a decoy patent medicine kiosk at Utako area of the FCT from where he allegedly recruited other sect members who disguised as his apprentices. Ogwuche was described as a British born Nigerian from Benue State who was in November 2011, arrested at the Abuja airport on his arrival from the United Kingdom, in connection with terrorism.

Ogar, however, said Ogwuche was released on bail to his retired Colonel father, Agene Ogwuche in October 2012 following intense pressure from the human rights community who alleged violation of his human rights. The DSS added that the fleeing Ogwuche deserted the Nigerian Army in 2006 after serving in the Intelligence Unit of the Army at the Arakan Barracks, Lagos.

He reportedly absconded when he was posted to the Nigerian Defence Academy, Jaji, Kaduna, in 2006. Ogar gave his service number as SVC 95/104.