KANO—THE Joint Military Taskforce, JTF, yesterday, raided and destroyed a ‘bomb factory’ at Bubugaje, suburb of Sharada Industrial estate in Kano after three hours of combat operation
The bomb factory, which served as hideout for terrorists, located within the isolated area of the suburb was attacked by the military that deployed no fewer than three armoured tanks, and over a hundred men for the operations.
One of the suspected terrorists was killed during the operation, while the taskforce rescued three women including two who are nursing mothers, a maid and two weeks old baby. One of the women rescued from the operation who identified herself as Fati Ibrahim Muhammad claimed to be a Camerounian and was betrothed to one Ibrahim Muhammad a year ago who was arrested after escaping from the house
Addressing newsmen at the scene, the Commander 3 Motorized Division of the Nigerian Army, Kano, Brigadier General Iliyasu Isa Abbah said that “terrorists used this place as a bomb factory and a hideout”, adding that one of the masterminds of BUK church shooting was killed in the encounter.
Brigadier Iliyasu Abbah further revealed that the factory and the entire village had been identified as ’black spot, adding that intelligence reports indicated that “these same people trailed and killed a soldier in the area last week. This house serves as both bomb factory and hideout for terrorists, we got a report and our men were here to do what they know best, and professionally all the women and children trapped inside during the operation have been rescued alive.”
The JTF boss in company of the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Idris Ibrahim and his counterpart from Directorate of State Service warned that henceforth any property identified as “bomb making factory and hideout by the terrorist” will be destroyed, and therefore called on property owner to be mindful of those they engage in tenants.
General Iliyasu Isa Abbah who admitted that the military are fighting a difficult war against the backdrop of guerilla tactics of the suspected militants, however, declared that “it a war we must win for our fatherland. You know this is the most difficult fight, especially when you are dealing with terrorists, because they know us but we don’t know them.”
Items recovered from the suspected bomb factory includes multiple SIM cards and modems, bank teller, AK 47 assault riffle, 7.2 c2mm specials, 458 round of ammunition, nine rounds of 5.6mm specials, two laptops, and several wired high caliber explosives.
Other items recovered from the scene include personal documents of the arrested suspect, 35 assorted small caliber IED’s, 35 knives, several jerry cans , fertilizer, HW batteries, vehicle plate numbers, motorbike and dozens of remote control.
The Brigade commander commended the general public for the cooperation adding that the Command will continue to treat their information with ‘utmost confidence’.
The envoy also said that Nigerians were not also left out of the effects of the ban on vehicular movement of goods and services.
Omaki said: “the effect is both ways. As I said 80 per cent of goods and services to Chad come from Nigeria, so automatically, Nigerian business people are also losing because those goods are not coming.
“The Chadians who are the recipients of these goods and services are also losing because they are not getting them and if they have to get them.”
Speaking on Nigeria-Chad bilateral relations, Omaki said that the central issue of the agreement was on security, particularly as it concerned Nigeria.
He noted that Chad is strategically located between North Africa, East Africa and Central Africa where there had been extreme religious and political tensions.
“All of them melt into Chad from where they can now find there bearing into neighbouring countries and the largest heat is of course, Nigeria.
“So Chad is of a strategic importance to Nigeria and I think we should re-evaluate our relationship on that basis on the fact that this country is a major corridor between Nigeria and other countries around Africa.”
He said that since the Chadian independence on Aug. 11, 1960, about two months before that of Nigeria, that country had been in one form of crisis or the other until recent times.
Omaki said the quantum of crises in Chad at that time led many of its citizens to find new abode in some Nigerian cities like Maiduguri, Kano, Jos and Lagos.
“I was told by the Consular-General of Chad in Lagos that there are more than one million Chadians in Lagos area alone.
“In Maiduguri, they have the largest and also in Maiduguri, there are certain quarters that are basically Chadian.
“Most of these people who are there, their children are of necessity already Nigerians because of their birth.
“Most of them were born there, they grow up there, they don’t know any other country except to say I am a Nigerian with Chadian blood.”
Omaki said he was optimistic that the security situation in Nigeria would improve to pave way for the opening of the borders and the resumption of normal economic and trading activities between Nigeria and its neighbours.
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